Eddie O’Gara, Green Party

Green Party's Eddie O'Gara is married with three children and lives in Monaghan. Pet-wise he confesses to having a mouse under the stairs at the moment. He's involved in several community and sporting organisations locally including Athletics (Monaghan Phoenix and County Monaghan Athletics Board), School Parents' Association, GAA, Gymnastics and Transition Monaghan. He is a founding member of the community action group ‘Love Monaghan Save Dublin Street’ which seeks to preserve their cultural and built heritage while regenerating and developing the town in a sustainable manner. He is also a member of Monaghan County Council walking and cycling forum and was previously a member of the Monaghan Couty Council Housing, Social and Cultural Strategic Policy Committee. The last film he enjoyed watching was 'Don’t Look Up'. He is a landscape architect who has worked in both the private and public sector nationally and internationally. He has professional experience in housing, transport and town and village regeneration projects.

Why did you enter politics?

I’m concerned about the future we are leaving for our children and grand children. We need to transition to more sustainable ways of leaving, and work in harmony with nature. The more extreme weather events we are now experiencing regularly are only going to get worse and will affect us all directly or indirectly.

Where do you sit on the political spectrum?

Progressive Left – Ensuring a Just Transition to a more sustainable future for all while caring for our most vulnerable citizens now.

What is your main campaigning issue?

The creation of healthy vibrant and sustainable towns and villages, where people want to live, work and visit. Underpinned by tackling the housing crisis and the cost of living crisis within those goals.

Put these in order of importance:

1.Environment (without it nothing else matters!), 2. Housing (liveable communities), 3. Health (widest sense of the word), 4. Job Creation, 5. Education, 6. Roads (Maintenance of existing & Active Travel), 7. Policing 8. Defence.

Can we afford more refugees?

Yes, we must always ensure that those fleeing war, persecution and famine have refuge, in line with the UN Declaration of Human Rights. We do however need a new system to process these to ensure fairness for both communities and the people seeking refuge.

Should Ireland sanction Israel and how?

Yes, on a personal level I have been trying to boycott Israeli products for over 15 years. But the middle east is highly complex so we must work as an international community to solve the problems there.

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

Simply we need to work with nature in all aspects of our lives. Reduce our over consumption of goods and services. We need to incentivise land owners with financial benefits to rewild parts of their land.

Do we need state-run childcare facilities?

Yes, with well paid employees in safe and secure jobs.

One way to help revive towns and villages?

Design and Plan our towns and villages from the mind of a pedestrian, particularly young or old. If we can make them liveable places that people want to be in then the social and economic benefits will follow.