Jonathan O'Meara (Non-Party), Birr

We sent a questionnaire to all 15 candidates running in the Birr Electoral Area in the forthcoming Offaly County Council election. The responses were published in print in the Offaly Independent last Friday.

NAME: Jonathan O'Meara

ADDRESS: Church Street, Banagher.

PARTY: Non-Party

SPECIAL AREAS OF INTEREST:

The business and tourism sector. Community activism.

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING IN THIS ELECTION?

I'm running because I feel that, through my professional and business endeavours, I have the commitment to be a strong representative for the people of the Birr - Ferbane local electoral area. As an Independent candidate, I am not tied down to national policy and can focus on the local issues.

I have always viewed politics through the eyes of what's best for the people. Independent councillors are free to work for those they serve, rather than the interests of the political parties.

WHAT ARE THE TWO BIGGEST ISSUES IN YOUR AREA?

Lack of housing, road infrastructure, and access to disability services in the Ferbane - Birr area. Also, local businesses closing on a weekly basis due to increased costs relating to VAT, the minimum wage, insurance and rates.

WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?

In business: Stephen Grant, founder of Grant Engineering. He is a self- taught engineer who has contributed greatly to the Midland region through his business and charitable donations.

In sport: Mark Pollack, motivational speaker, explorer, and author. Unbroken by blindness in 1998, Mark became the first blind person to race to the South Pole. In 2010, a fall from a second story window nearly killed him. He broke his back and the damage to his spinal cord left him paralysed. He is now on a new expedition, this time exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide in an effort to cure paralysis in our lifetime.

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU:

In 2022, I spent 20 days in the Himalayas, Nepal, trekking from Lukla to Mount Everest Base Camp.