Ballyjamesduff MD Candidates: Nathan Galligan (FF)

Nathan Galligan (23) is running for Fianna Fáil in the Ballyjamesduff Municipal District. It’s his first time to enter the local political arena and he remains quietly confident that he can clinch a much-coveted seat on the local authority. Nathan hails from Kilnaleck and lives with his parents and two brothers. He plays football for Crosserlough, has a huge interest in all things agriculture and works as a sustainability and climate action officer in Liffey Meats.

How do you unwind?

I play a bit of football and I like socialising with my friends. There is nothing better than walking through the fields out looking at the cattle. It’s very satisfying and gives me time to think and tune out from the busy world around me.

Why should people vote for you?

I believe that I have a strong presence in the community and will represent people with distinction and diligence. I know the area, I care about the people who live there and I care about local issues and developments.

What will you do to address housing supply?

Obviously things on the housing front are tight at the minute but last year the government built more houses in 12 months than in the previous 10 years. I think we just need to be patient because the houses are coming. I notice a lot of vacant properties in the Ballyjamesduff Electoral Area. I think a bit of lobbying needs to be done with the people who own those properties and get them back into housing stock. I believe that Minister Dara O’Brien has put a house building plan in place and it is working. But it will take time. Construction companies are finding it difficult to get staff to build these houses and there are issues around planning permission including for people who want to build on their own land, and that is a disgrace.

Has Ireland taken in enough refugees?

Under EU law, Ireland does have to take in a certain amount of refugees. I do think that legislation is needed and Minister McEntee needs to sort that out. People are coming in from Northern Ireland because of a loophole in the system and that is wrong.

What is your main campaigning issue?

I’m focusing on positive change; I’m new to this and I think that people like that. Fixing the roads is also something that I am looking to get done. There are a lot of potholes on the roads and many of them need to be resurfaced. I think that people are frustrated over the cost of holidaying in Ireland particularly when it comes to the costs associated with staying in hotels and all of this is impacting our tourism industry. Healthcare is also something that I would like to see improved.

Should the biodiversity/climate crises be at the very top of the council's agenda?

Cavan County Council has a Climate Action Plan, which I believe is very, very important. My own line of work is all about sustainability and climate action. Rural areas have plenty of recreational and biodiversity areas, which is great. The agricultural schemes under CAP all come under this; ACRES and schemes like that promote biodiversity and climate change but we also have water pollution and littering in our communities to address as well. It’s up to all of us to play our part and all of us need to ensure that the measures needed to combat climate change are in place.

Who, in the political sphere, has influenced you the most?

There are a lot of great people involved in politics but I am getting involved to put my own stamp on things. I want to lead the way on change and lobby our TDs so that Cavan gets its fair share of the pie nationally. At local level we understand the needs of our communities and we are all very aware of what people want. Just recently, Minister Norma Foley provided the funding needed for an extension to Kilnaleck National School and people in the area are absolutely delighted that the plan for the school is coming to fruition. I also know that funding has been allocated to numerous projects across the municipal district including Bruskey, Kilnaleck, Virginia and Ballyjamesduff. And, while all this is great, people are fed up with the state of the roads; cars are being damaged weekly and funding needs to be provided for repairs.