Cavan-Belturbet MD Candidates: Michael ‘Bricker’ Wall (SF)
Originally from St Martin's Estate in Cavan Town but now living in Clonervy, Poles, Michael works as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with Medicall based out of Cavan. He served in the Defence Forces from 1994 to 1999 serving one tour abroad, and is married to Miranda. The couple have three kids and foster parents to four more children.
How do you unwind?
Family time for me is unwinding, and even though ours is a busy house, it’s great to spend time at home with them all, and a bit of craic. I'd be one of the kids myself to be honest. I'm also a member of the management team for the county hurlers, and I love being involved with that.
Why should people vote for you?
With me what you see is what you get. I speak straight to the point, and if I know I'm speaking the truth, I'll make sure to get my point across. I also got a lot of help from people the time I had an accident in 2018 when I had a Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and was found hours later lying in the snow. I saw then first hand the difficulties people have in accessing services, and I feel I owe it back to those people if I was to be elected.
What will you do to address housing supply?
On my own I can't do much, but working with others if elected, and we all pull together, I believe we can do a lot. In Cavan Town alone, one thing I'm very disappointed with is the turnaround times from when someone leaves a house to then getting it ready and back on the list for another tenant to take up. That badly needs to improve. I know one or two houses in the town empty for the best part of a year, I don't know why, and yet the waiting list remains the same. That's one thing I would work to address. We all know the housing crisis we're in, and it leads to other crises as well with mental health and all of that.
Has Ireland taken in enough refugees?
It’s not they've taken in enough, but when we look at all the other crises we're facing in this country, housing, access to timely healthcare, I think we have a system that is broken. We need a fairer, more efficient system that works for the people coming in. It’s not fair, and you see tents going up along the Grand Canal, it’s good weather now but what happens when the bad weather sets in? Also, what the government has done behind the backs of people, like in Castletara for instance, was a disgrace. Engage with communities. Enough with the secrecy.
What is your main campaigning issues?
Housing. We have a lot of single parents, even families, now and still living at home with their parents because they've simply nowhere else to go. Rents are too high, and even if that wasn't the case, they're working to make ends meet and that's pushing them over the threshold for social housing. I see some other parties say there is enough housing out there. There isn't half enough! Mental health as well, because the two are certainly connected. I'd also like to see more investment in local amenities. You have Tullacmongan pitch closed off, there's no green area either for an area with maybe 300 families living close by. It’s not good enough.
Should the biodiversity/ climate crises be at the very top of the council agenda?
It’s great to seen the council has invested in a biodiversity officer, and I wish them the best of luck in their job. It’s badly needed with the environment in the state it is. The whole climate is changing, in Ireland and around the world, and that is feeding into the immigration problem as well.
Who in a political sphere has influenced you the most?
Pauline Tully and Damien Brady. I also work closely with Matt Carthy, being ex-defence forces, on those issues. It was those three people who were the biggest influence in getting me involved with the party. Also, Brian McKeown has been a great mentor to me.