Meet the Candidate: Cllr. Seamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil

About Me:

 Seamus lives in Carrigaline with his wife Gayle and their three daughters.  He has been involved in politics since his days studying for a Commerce Degree in UCC and has been a County Councillor since 2007.  He strongly believes in the importance of effective local representation as Cork County Council has a vital and wide ranging role to play in our community, providing essential services and continually making critical decisions which impact on all of us.

Journey to Politics: 

Having been involved in politics since college, Seamus has vast experience in the workings of politics.  Initially as a volunteer, he could see the impact politics can have on people’s lives.  He has always been closely involved with his brother, Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath T.D. and managed many of his early election campaigns.  Moving on to become a public representative himself, he embraced the role and has given enormous energy and commitment to serving the community.  Acknowledging that there are many ups and downs in politics, he believes overall that it can be a very fulfilling and satisfying role in life.

Cllr. Seamus McGrath

On Community Work:

Seamus firmly believes in the power of the local community.  The best money the Council can spend is funding for local voluntary and sporting clubs.  They are the lifeblood of our community and they make where we live a vibrant and enjoyable place.  He argues that we need to continually invest in these local groups/clubs as they know their own community best and what should be prioritised. The demands on these local groups/clubs are enormous and local government must give them even greater support, whether it be grant funding or land to facilitate the development of key facilities.

Our Infrastructure Deficit

Seamus passionately argues that our infrastructure does not match the level of housing and other developments in our area.  We need improvements in infrastructure at the same time as developments are constructed.  We are continually playing catch up and we need to change the model so that improvements are provided at the same time as well as addressing deficits from the past.  Infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, public lighting, active travel links, recreational facilities and so on need investment relative to the development in an area.  This remains a major challenge.  Our social infrastructure as well, such as adequate school places, childcare places, the availability of GP services and so on.  Providing housing is necessary, but equally important are the improvements in all forms of hard an social infrastructure.

Other Key Priorities:

It is always difficult to select some key priorities when there are countless issues that need to be progressed, however, some of the core issues Seamus continually works on include the need for continued investment in housing, including affordable and cost rental properties, the delivery of more facilities for young people including upgrading our playgrounds, the obvious need to improve the local bus service and the important issue of strengthening the Garda force locally serving the community.  We need to provide resources to address ongoing problems such as litter, dog fouling and dereliction in our towns and villages.  Residents deserve to have residential estates Taken In Charge in a timely manner as well and not decades after they were first developed. It is more of a national issue, but Seamus said the need for greater supports for children with additional needs is an issue regularly raised with him and one he feels very strongly about.

Why vote for me?

I believe it is an honour to receive your vote and something I would never take for granted.  I do my utmost to represent your individual needs as well as those of our wider communities to the best of my ability. Listening and staying in regular contact is critical as a public representative and I try to actively do this on social media, through other media forms, newsletters and most importantly personal contact.  I have endeavoured to work hard with community groups, residents’ committees and individuals on a wide range of issues.  As an individual Councillor you can only achieve so much, but an ability to work together with my colleagues from across the political spectrum for the betterment of our communities is critical and something which I very much value.  Naturally, we will face new and many challenges over the coming five years.  I believe I have the experience, work ethic, and record of working in partnership with the community to achieve the best for our area. To do so, I need your support and in return I promise you consistent hard work, availability and honesty in decision making.  I ask you once again to put your trust in me.

In the run up to the election on June 7th, Seamus can be contacted by email, Seamus.McGrath@cllr.corkcoco.ie, by mobile 086-3916328 and on Facebook.