Following a recent candidate selection conventions held in Monksland Community Centre, attended by Chris MacManus MEP and constituency Deputy Claire Kerrane, Sinn Féin have confirmed that Joe Harney of Taylorstown, Monksland, will contest for a seat in the Roscommon Athlone LEA in the June 2024 local elections.
Joe, who previously contested a seat for Sinn Féin at the 2019 local elections in the Athlone LEA, has been active in a range of voluntary organisations in the local area for many years and is a strong advocate for community development within the South Roscommon area.
Speaking at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Athlone recently he stated that local authorities should have the relevant powers and funding to provide good quality local employment on a range of projects that make a positive impact within communities.
“In this way they can be a stabilizing force in the economy as well as providing decent jobs and a good quality service to the communities they represent. Local authorities are also restricted when it comes to the capacity to develop public housing in their areas.
“This needs to be addressed. The lack of investment in rural areas and particularly the west of Ireland, needs a specific approach and local councils could play a role in addressing this imbalance,” Joe asserted.
Speaking at the candidate selection conventions, Deputy Kerrane noted that she was looking forward to working with the selected candidate as the June local elections approach.
“I work regularly with Joe on a variety of issues from sustainability of the family farm and revival of our rural towns and villages to housing maintenance and provision as well as health related issues.
“I very much look forward to campaigning with him over the next number of weeks and months to ensure that we elect a bigger and stronger team of Sinn Féin councillors on Roscommon County Council and deliver on the issues that matter locally across our county,” Deputy Kerrane concluded.
