It is just under three months until the Elections and our eighth Election Diary is now here.
We look at the latest political pieces as the countdown continues to this year’s Local Elections.
Ollie off to a flying start
If a good start is half the battle then Ollie Clooney is off to a flying start in his Council election bid.
There were over 130 people in attendance at his official campaign launch in the Castle Arms in Durrow on Wednesday night.
There was a great cross community mix on the night and a lot of ringing endorsements for the independent candidate.
Laois GAA commentator, Jack Nolan was among the speakers as was Ollie’s colleague from Durrow Credit Union Kathleen Geoghegan who spoke of Ollie’s decency, dedication and commitment to the Credit Union for over 30 years, of which he was a founder member.
In his address Ollie too spoke of the central importance of voluntary organisations and community groups as the backbone of rural Ireland.
He said that his emphasis was not on himself but rather on the need to have a strong dedicated voice for their community at the County Council.
Issues such as tackling rural crime and improved amenities and facilities for children and teenagers are top of his agenda.
PIcture: Alf Harvey.
Stradbally candidate determined to rejuvenate local politics
Stradbally-based Fine Gael Local Election candidate, Vivienne Phelan, says she is determined to rejuvenate local politics in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District.
She previously served as an elected member of Fine Gael Executive Council and as Young Fine Gael Director of Organisational Development, Recruitment and Women’s Engagement.
In 2018 she was chosen as an adjudicator for The European Innovation in Politics Awards and previously served on the U.S. Embassy Youth Council along with representing Ireland at the Young European Council in Brussels.
In addition, Vivienne gained valuable experience of national politics working as an intern in Leinster House for Colm Brophy T. D.
She said: ‘I’m very fortunate to have gained a great insight into local and national politics and I have developed a real love for it. I have had the experience of sitting around the table with senior politicians in this country and if elected I will be a strong voice for my local community at council level.
“I believe I have the required energy, enthusiasm and experience to do the job to a high standard.”
Ireland has the potential to become a global cyber security hub
Four out of five EU citizens are concerned about their online privacy and security, according to a special Eurobarometer survey.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they thought there’s an increasing risk of being a victim of cybercrime but 61 percent think they are able to protect themselves against that.
The two most common concerns mentioned by respondents continue to be the misuse of personal data and the security of online payments.
There is huge potential in Ireland for it to be a global leader in cyber security. Ireland’s cyber security industry employs over 6,000 people and includes many of the world’s top security software companies.
Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said we now need to build on this with the great asset of our talented workforce.
MEP Clune said: “Globally the cyber security industry is growing rapidly and we need to make sure in Ireland that we are in a prime position to attract that business here.
“We already have a strong cyber security industry here and thanks to our very talented workforce we can build on that. It is great to see an organisation like Cyber Ireland bring together the key stakeholders from industry, academia, and Government to help make Ireland a cyber security hub. It is vital that everyone works together on this.”
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