Ballyjamesduff MD Candidates: Grainne McPhillips (Aon)

Grainne McPhillips will once again try to claim a seat for Aontu in the Ballyjamesduff Electoral Area. A native of Drumnalaragh, she comes from a family of four and is principal of a rural primary school. Grainne lives with her partner Darren.

How do you unwind?

I play music and I find that great. I like to get outdoors and into nature. I live beside Lough Sheelin and love going there for a walk. I also like meeting my friends and having a chat.

Why should people vote for you?

I feel disillusioned over the lack of accountability and inaction, all of which is having a negative impact on the people in my electoral area. I am a new voice coming from a young female perspective. I have been involved in my community for a number of years. That coupled with my profession as a teacher, working with children and dealing with families, gives me great insight into the issues impacting young and old in rural areas.

What will you do to address housing supply?

Housing is a huge issue and it's impacting everyone in our society. We can see that by the number of young people going abroad, which is placing a brain drain on our country. My own brother has moved to Australia. One thing that needs to happen is to put an end to tax breaks for international investment funds that are coming in and buying up large portions of property because that is making the price of a house unattainable for young people. Inflation is rising all the time but people’s wages are not rising in tandem with that and it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to purchase their own home. There are also vacant council properties that need to be brought back into housing stock.

Has Ireland taken in enough refugees?

There is a noticeable increase in the number of refugees arriving in Ireland and it’s putting additional pressures on communities and services. The government has made no provision for the increase and people are getting very frustrated over this. Communities need more consultation and when people come into this country we need to be able to distinguish between those who do need help and those who do not. With regard to the EU Migration Pact, I feel that Ireland needs to hold its own sovereignty on this issue. If there is consideration given to this, it must be put to the people in the form of a Referendum.

What is your main campaigning issue?

Roads are a huge issue and I completely empathise with people on this. Damage is being caused to vehicles and, in some cases, roads are impassable because they are in such need of repair. I would like to see Cavan County Council taking a practical approach to this. I would suggest the development of an APP where local people can upload a photo of a dangerous road surface with its location and that would then be inputted into the local authority system.

There are also issues around childcare costs and this is impacting women in the workplace. There are not enough childcare places and many parents can’t use the subsidy provided by the government because there is nowhere for their child to go. I will be campaigning for Government investment to expand childcare facilities in Co Cavan.

Should biodiversity/climate be top of the agenda?

We are the guardians of the earth and the community in which we live in, and we all really do need to do everything that we can do to protect it. Biodiversity and climate encapsulates all areas of what we do regarding housing, infrastructure, roads, farming and food production. I recently attended an event in Mountnugent for World Earth Day and it was great to see all the wonderful work that local communities are doing on biodiversity in their own areas.It’s important that we support the local authority on its plan for the county in relation to all of this. We all need to be cognisant of the impact climate action measures are having on farmers. They are inclined to get the blame for the issues within the environment when really what we should be doing is supporting them in the work they do.

Who, politically, has influenced you the most?

I admire the work that Aontu leader Peadar Tobin does. He founded the party based on his own values and moral compass. It takes a lot of courage to make a stand for what you believe in and Peadar showed that he had backbone. He is currently one man in the Dáil and raises numerous parliamentary questions, puts forward bills that all have a common-sense approach and is a family man doing extraordinary work in the political sphere.