Fianna Fáil duo set sights on retaining south Longford seats

Fianna Fáil held its selection convention for the Ballymahon Local Electoral Area in recent days in Cooney's Hotel.

The result saw sitting councillors Mick Cahill and Pat O'Toole stand for nomination alongside secondary school teacher Niall Dowler.

Ultimately, and once votes from party delegates were totted up, it was the two sitting councillors who prevailed.

Speaking afterwards, both men said they were relishing the chance of serving a community they have served for almost three decades between them.

“I am looking forward to hopefully serving the people of south Longford and meeting the challenges we face,” said Cllr Cahill.
Should the Colehill based local representative retain his seat next June it will be his fifth consecutive time to do so.

The Ballymahon local representative wasted little time either in outlining a list of ambitious political objectives.

At the top of that list included providing much needed housing for much of Center Parcs' working populous and lobbying for a major capital investment programme in upgrading Ballymahon's water and wastewater network.

“My main mantra at this stage is to represent all of south Longford, particularly the areas of Edgeworthstown where Fianna Fáil doesn't have a representative,” he said.

Cllr O'Toole added he also wanted to assist local communities in seeking out various funding opportunities, saying the role of the local representative had changed in light of ever more influence at central government level.

His party running mate, Cllr O'Toole, said he too was eager to continuing a local electoral career that is nearing its tenth year.
“I am looking forward to it having served the Ballymahin area for the last nine and half years.”

Cllr O'Tooles said that eagerness was predicated on a number of local projects he intends pursuing should voters return him for a third spell in local politics.

Among them include plans to ensure Irish Water increases Ballymahon's wastewater capacity in order to ease the south Longford town's housing crisis.

“It's (sewage system)is maxed out and as it is there isn't the capacity to build any more houses and what is needed is an affordable housing scheme of around 20 houses.”

Cllr O'Toole also name dropped the renovation of the south Longford town's Pobal le Cheile project including the restoration of its former conent building as a key priority going forward.