Senator Robbie Gallagher, Fianna Fáil

Living in Monaghan Town, Robbie is married to Karen and they have two children - Darren and Aimee - and a pet dog.

The Fianna Fáil senator is a member of Tyholland GAA and Monaghan Harps GAA.

Last film you enjoyed watching?

Gladiator

Why did you enter politics?

I owned a small business, a grocery shop. I was encouraged by people to run for the town council elections and I was successful and it really grew from there.

Where do you sit on the political spectrum?

Left of centre

What is your main campaigning issue?

Housing.

What would you do in government to address it?

We will further accelerate the momentum in home building and directly aid those who want to buy or rent a home by removing delays through implementation of our planning legislation, speeding up construction through investment in water, roads and other essential infrastructure, reducing the cost and accelerating the delivery of homebuilding through investing in new construction methods, prioritising first time buyers and affordable housing with direct supports, continuing the largest modern programme of social house building.

Put these in order of importance:

1. Health; 2. Housing; 3. Education; 4. Policing; 5. Roads; 6. Job creation; 7. Defence

Can we afford more refugees?

The system must be rules-based and fair to those who come here to work, study or join family – so long as they do so legally. It must be fair to those genuinely fleeing war and persecution. The system must be tough on those who do not come here legally, including those who use the international protection system for economic migration.

The numbers seeking asylum are unprecedented so we need a faster and fairer system. Fianna Fáil is proposing a government department of domestic affairs with a border management agency within it to deal with migration policy.

Should Ireland sanction Israel?

We will continue to work with partners in the EU to introduce further sanctions to punish illegal settler activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and ban imports from the occupied Palestinian territories following the July 2024 International Court judgment, by making necessary and significant amendments to the Occupied Territories Bill (2018) so that it will withstand any future legal challenges.

What's the answer to the biodiversity/climate crises?

Continued support for farmers to re-establish areas for biodiversity. Support for voluntary groups protecting and promoting biodiversity and water quality in towns, villages and communities across the country.

Do we need state-run childcare facilities?

Private provision plays a significant role in childcare supply. An overnight abandonment of this would create major concerns about existing provision and parental choice. We will work to support existing childcare providers and their staff, while also ramping up state-led provision, particularly in areas where there is insufficient supply. We will provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned childcare facilities, which can then be leased to community childcare providers in these blackspots.

One way to help revive towns and villages?

Resource the local town teams better and establish a new Towns Investment Fund of €2bn to build and upgrade infrastructure such as a Public Parks and Pitches Fund, and support for the sensitive redevelopment of town centres.