MEET THE CANDIDATES: School places, transport and housing the big issues in Ratoath
JOHN DONOHOE
What a difference a term makes.... after the 2014 council election, Fine Gael was glorying in taking three seats in the seven-seat Ratoath electoral area, with tight vote management bringing in Gillian Toole, Gerry O'Connor and Maria Murphy across the line without reaching the quota.
Early in this election campaign, it looked like the trio would again be representing the government party on the ballot papers, but Cllr Toole has jumped ship, and has been replaced by Ratoath community activist, Bee Flanagan.
Her addition to the ticket gives Ratoath village another candidate to vote for – as if it hadn't enough to choose from.
The southern end of the municipal area, from Ratoath across to Dunboyne, has the greatest number of candidates, with Toole and Flanagan joined by Fianna Fail's Deirdre Smith Geraghty, and two independents, both formerly of Fianna Fail, Nick Killian and Fergus O'Riordan, in Ratoath.
Over in Dunboyne, Damien O'Reilly for Fianna Fail, Sean Henry ex-Fianna Fail, and FG's Murphy are battling for votes. Granted, they are the most densely populated areas of the region.
Brian Fitzgerald, poll topper the last time, should repeat his strong performance again, given his longevity and work across both urban and rural areas.
There is no doubting what the major issues are across this part of the county - traffic and transport, school places, and affordable housing. Travel from Clonee and Dunboyne over to Lucan, or back to Ratoath and Dunshaughlin, and the volume of traffic on the roads has significantly increased over the past number of years.
Population growth has led to busier roads, with commuter tailbacks at the major junctions to the M3 around Piercetown and Black Bull. These bottlenecks, and those over on the N2 at Kilmoon and Kilshane crosses, are leading motorists to use the rural roads of the area as rat runs, so that places like Skryne, Curraha, Batterstown and Ratoath experience speeding cars flying through every morning.
The motorways are busy too, so much so that the answer lies in the re-instating the Navan rail line, even though the transport minister and government seems to be turning a blind eye to the problem.
While it was Fine Gael ministers that turned sods on major developments like Facebook and Shire at Clonee and Dunboyne, Brian Fitzgerald can point to the fact he had been pushing for industrial land use in that area for years, to take advantage of the closeness to Dublin and its business and industrial zone.
House building is booming again, but it is still out of reach of many. Dunshaughlin is exploding, and there has been more building in Ratoath too, but affordability is still an issue, which Nick Killian has been highlighting for a long time.
Gerry O'Connor is in a strong position in Dunshaughlin, as he has no real opposition there, and he has been forward-thinking in the village, hosting town hall meetings to address issues. The village has extra schools and extensions planned, and new transport links on the cards, but there will be big challenges when Gem starts building the recently-permitted neighbourhood centre and 900 housing units close to The Willows.
Garda presence – or lack of it - is an issue that has united many of the Ratoath area candidates and seems to have been one of Gillian Toole's reasons for jumping.
The question is – who is vulnerable? Has the former Maria O'Kane, now Maria Ui Ruairc, made enough of an impression over her term to hold her seat? Will the Sinn Fein tide of last time keep her afloat? Is Gillian Toole's move to little, too late? She seems to have discovered a lot of problems that were always there – maybe it will save her if the government party gets into bother. Can Fianna Fail win back a seat? If Deirdre Geraghty is to stay on the ticket for the Dáil, she'll need to put on a good show here.
RATOATH MUNICIPAL DISTRICT
Tell us about yourself
I live in Greenpark, Dunshaughlin with my husband Darren and our son Art, I’m passionate about languages and youth affairs and am currently teaching in Dunboyne. I have strong connections with Conradh na Gaeilge locally and nationally and advocate strongly for the Irish language. I enjoy fun runs and charity fundraisers; the wackier the better! I’m a busy working mum and know the stresses that households deal with. I joined Sinn Féin aged 17 to support measures that address systemic inequalities and make everyday life more affordable; I’ve never looked back.
What are the main issues affecting the area you represent?
The towns and villages in the Ratoath area desperately need more social and affordable housing to tackle overcrowding and hidden homelessness and the sad reality of people having to move away from the vital support of family and friends. As populations increase the areas need ever improving transport links and additional facilities. The rural areas need improved internet access to fully unlock the wonderful potential they have to offer.
What do you hope to achieve if elected?
To offer a voice to our town and rural communities on the issues that affect them every day and in the long term. Constant, measurable changes in housing management. Support measures that ease financial burdens. Improved transport and community facilities