Inependent Mayo county councillor Michael Kilcoyne will finally make his mind up whether he will contest the upcoming Dáil election this weekend. “Depending on what newspaper you read, I’m either in or I’m out of the running. But the reality is that I have not made my mind up yet. I’ve been talking to my people and I will make up my mind for once and for all this weekend.”
The highly popular councillor has been tipped to win a seat in the 31st Dáil if he goes forward for election, but winning a seat in the Dáil is not what Kilcoyne wants to do, that is to effect change for Mayo. “It’s all well and good winning the seat, but if I go, I’m not going there to make up the numbers and look around the place. There are enough people up there doing that already. You can get involved in a technical group and get speaking rights, but that still doesn’t mean you’ll get anything done, if the Government needs the support of independents then you could get things done for Mayo. What’s good for Mayo is good the country in my opinion, and the people I will have to answer to is the people of Mayo. I’m a local politician not a national one, my first interest is for the county and getting things done. There is no point in just making up the numbers sitting in the Dáil.”