Delvin native launches local election campaign

Delvin native Niall Gaffney officially launched his election campaign on Saturday evening last, April 13.

A first-time candidate, the 27-year-old is a self-employed barrister. He is running for Fianna Fáil in the Kinnegad Local Election Area (LEA) in the upcoming local elections in June.

He has been involved in politics for over eight years, and during that time, has held the position of president of Ógra Fianna Fáil.

Mr Gaffney wants to ensure that people from areas like Delvin and Clonmellon have a voice in Westmeath County Council. With his experience and passion, he wants to be that strong voice for these areas.

Speaking at his launch night, which took place in Gaffney’s Bar and Lounge, he spoke of his political experience and his deep roots in Delvin.

"It is incredibly exciting and humbling to be running in the local elections," noted Mr Gaffney.

"The exciting part is that I am a first-time candidate and have been involved in politics for over eight years. During those years, I was the president of Ógra Fianna Fáil and fought for supports for young people right across the island of Ireland."

The location of his launch held particular significance for the new candidate, as Gaffney's pub has been in his family for generations. It was owned by his late grandmother, Carmel.

"To anyone new to Delvin, they’ll know it as Mary’s. To everyone else, it’s Carmel’s. To me, it’ll always be Granny’s. Anyone who knew my late grandmother knows that everything she did was community focused, and that’s the environment we were brought up in."

The day was a busy one for Mr Gaffney as he put this commitment to addressing community issues into practice. In the afternoon, he addressed the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in Dublin.

He called on Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, to commit to fully funding the Tenant in Situ Scheme. He stressed the importance of continuing to fully funding the scheme, as it offers protection to those at risk of homelessness.

"The cost-rental Tenant in Situ Scheme is a significant measure to tackle homelessness and help those at risk of homelessness," Mr Gaffney said during his address.

"It empowers the housing authority to purchase a property that is being sold and that is rented privately.

"There is a separate Tenant in Situ Scheme which assists those in receipt of housing supports such as HAP, whose homes are being sold.

"This allows the local authority to purchase the property and continue to rent it to the tenant."

Mr Gaffney says he is looking forward to hearing people's issues and helping solve them over the course of his campaign.