Bailieborough Cootehill MD Candidate: Garry Cosgrove (Ind)

Originally from Cootehill, Garry emigrated to Australia where he worked for 11 years before returning home in 2000. He lives in the Knockbride/Bailieborough area and is Contracts Director for Smoke Management Systems, a company that installs automated smoke ventilators in buildings. Garry's motivation to stand for election stems from last year's campaign against a proposal to house refugees in a Cootehill hotel. Immigration policy is central to his campaign.

How do you unwind?

My way to unwind may be someone else's torture: I do a lot of adventure racing, which includes cycling, running, kayaking. I do a lot of swimming, hill walking and I'm an avid deer stalker.

Why should people vote for you?

If people are looking for real change they could look to me as an independent. The way I work in all forms of life is how I approach my worklife: I take things one step at a time. If, for instance, we hit a snag, I thrive on problem solving and never repeat the same issues again. The establishment have not been fulfilling their commitments to the people, and I feel a different voice, coming from a different angle can make huge changes for people.

What will you do to address housing supply?

Housing supply for the majority of young people is nearly out of reach in this country. The cost of houses for young people at €300,000 to €350,000 as the average price is unaffordable - even with two people working. There are lots of houses that are derelict that could be done up by the council to get people in. In my day, the county council were building houses and you could rent these houses and then buy them off the council over a period of time. Until you made the final payment, it was still a council house. I think the council should be building houses and offering an alternative to the people: a good value house.

Has Ireland taken in too many refugees?

Yes, Ireland has taken far too many refugees. There's three different types of people coming into this country. You have the economic migrant, who has come here and has skills and wants to work in Ireland to have a better life. They want to contribute to society both financially and in our culture and integrate.

Then we have a genuine asylum seeker who is under pressure in their own country - could be war, famine, drought, any threat that leaves them needing help for a short period. Those people need to be looked after here. No one has an issue with either of those two categories.

Then you have the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) applicant. They are coming in here to feed off the goodwill of the people of this country. They are not here to contribute, they will certainly not integrate into society and are not one bit interested in our heritage or culture.

We've done more than enough to take people in. We have to look after our own people, that's where we have to start.

What is your main campaign issue?

To lobby the government for reformation of the immigration policies. It has to be tougher immigration policies. What's happening right now is not sustainable.

Also, for small businesses we need a reduction of commercial rates in towns where shops are closing all the time and rates went up by 20%. Small businesses are the bread and butter of society where they employ one and two people and build up community - not a Google, not a Facebook.

Others are abolition of local property tax for people over 70; and make local authority home loans more accessible for all - drop the income limit and base the loans on ability to pay.

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

If you delve into it, biodiversity is a Green agenda driving stealth taxes. On top of that they are making people feel that their way of life is the main cause of it, when in actual fact we are a tiny percentage of carbon emissions in the world, and we are paying very heavy taxes to rectify this. It starts with farming and that, after time, it will trickle down to people in the shops. Yes it needs to be looked at, but not to the extent that we are being taxed on it.

Who in the political sphere has influenced you most?

Looking at the here and now: I would have to say Michael McNamara, Sharon Keogan, Mattie McGrath and Carol Nolan. These sort of people speak the truth and are not afraid to put their head above the parapet and speak for ordinary people.