Thursday, April 17, 2014

'Keep looking, asking' for local candidate

The theme that Kilcullen will need its own councillor in the new Naas Municipal District was again raised by Orla O'Neill in the latest of her 'Election Watch' series in The Bridge Magazine, writes Brian Byrne.

Outlining the reasons why 'Kilcullen needs a voice', she underpins her argument with how it was difficult to get a copy of the upcoming Draft Kilcullen Local Area Plan in advance of a Kildare County Council meeting which voted to publish it in May.

She notes that there had been no response to the 'Election Watch' series from councillors or candidate councillors (though there is one in this issue from FF candidate Rob Power, which she wouldn't have known about in advance), and feels that getting one from local TD Martin Heydon (FG) was 'bizarre' and proved her point that someone from the town needs to stand for the Council.

"There are lots of articulate, passionate people involved in community and sporting activities who know the issues of the town," she concludes. "We need to keep looking and asking."

(Nominations close on Saturday 3 May at 12 noon. The special Election 2014 blog for the Naas Municipal Area to which Kilcullen has been moved is here.)