Cavan-Belturbet MD Candidates: Cllr Brendan Fay (Ind)

Married to Ailish, the dad of two young boys was first elected to the council in 2019 off the back of a campaign to save St Bricin’s and St Mogue’s from closure. A local publican, owner of The Widow’s Bar in Belturbet, he is a member of the local Tidy Towns Committee, development groups, and the Rory O’Moores GAA.

How do you unwind?

Family, the two boys, running around with football, music, games. I love going to football games with my sons. I used to have a flower and vegetable garden but its very tough these days. I love going into work in the pub too, the craic with the locals, the stories, the songs, and the banter.

Why should people vote for you?

I have always been involved in the community and this has given me a chance to be part of the decision making processes and grants for communities that make such a difference. I’ve learned a lot in the last five years and would love to continue working for my community and for County Cavan which I am very proud of.

What will you do to address housing supply?

So many people are waiting on housing. People are moving home to live with their parents. But in fairness to the council they are buying up vacant properties and getting them back into use. It is however slow, and getting funding from the government is limited. Croí Cónaithe is helping private home buyers but unfortunately when people go looking for bridging loans from banks they’re not getting them. This needs to be addressed. We need more public and private cooperation. There has been a total lack of multi-agency link-up over the last two decades and more

Has Ireland taken in enough refugees?

We are a country with open arms, Céad Mile Fáilte, that took in and worked with the Ukrainian population at a time of war. But I think the problem is we don’t have housing, not only for refugees and asylum seekers, but for our own population. It seems to be a bed driven situation, with no thought for services, transport, schools, doctors, dentists. It feels at breaking point. Families are being put into any accommodate that can be got. Its an unprecedented time. The Irish went to the four corners of the world. If we didn’t have documents we were sent home. Tackling illegal immigration needs to be at the front of any new system. Displaced people are ending up in Ireland with no plan, and no way to deal with them. Its a recipe for disaster.

What is your main campaigning issues?

To make my community and the rest of Cavan a better place to work, live, and to visit. To try as well to bring as much investment as possible into this gem of a county.

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

We definitely should take stock, but it shouldn’t be at the top of the agenda above all else. The government believes the carbon tax is okay but its not. Its a direct attack on the vulnerable in society. We do food well in this country, Irish milk and beef is bought from shelves across the world. We should not be talking about culling our herds. Our government loves to announce statistics based on the Green agenda. But these policies are hurting hard pressed people from all angles. We do not have the infrastructure in rural Ireland.

Who in a political sphere has influenced you the most?

Not from the political arena, but people like my parents, my wife’s parents, they’ve been a great influence. But most importantly my boys and my wife, and the community I work and live in. That motivates me to do my best as a councillor.