Local Elections poll-topper Councillor Joe Cooney and West Clare GP Dr Tom Nolan have been added to the Clare Fine Gael General Election ticket alongside Leonora Carey.
Having ruled out a Dáil bid last week, Councillor Cooney has decided to enter the General Election race following political pressure at local and national level.
Dr Nolan and Councillor Cooney were added to the Fine Gael Clare constituency ticket following a weekend meeting of Fine Gael’s Executive Council.
First elected to Clare Country Council in 2004, Cllr Cooney has been returned to Killaloe Municipal District (MD) as a poll topper in the four subsequent Local Elections, most recently in June 2024.
The former Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council and Chairman of Clare GAA is a first-time General Election candidate in the four-seat Clare constituency and joins Leonora Carey and Dr Tom Nolan on the Fine Gael ticket.
Speaking about his decision to run, Councillor Cooney said, “Having considered contesting the General Election in recent weeks and on foot of representations from people across the county and following discussions with Taoiseach Simon Harris urging me to put my name forward, I have decided that now is the right time for me to do so.
“Ahead of making a decision to put my name forward, I have consulted at length with family, friends and supporters to ensure I was in a position to give 100pc to my campaign and my tenure as a TD should I be elected.
“As a longstanding member of Clare County Council and proud Clare man, I am honoured to contest this election and to receive the opportunity to potentially represent my county in Dáil Éireann. If I say I will do something, I will do it. I am deeply committed to our communities, and my dedication to serving the people of Clare is central to everything I do.”
Councillor Cooney cited investment in housing, health services, rural communities, infrastructure, tourism and Shannon Airport as key issues for him should he be elected.
“The outgoing Government has invested hugely in largely rural constituencies like Clare but, understandably, there is much work to do whether that be in further improving our local health services, increasing housing stock levels, supporting our tourism and hospitality sector or investing in vital infrastructure.”
On the issue of health, Cllr Cooney said, “I fully support the restoration of Ennis Accident and Emergency Department, which is needed to cater for County Clare’s growing population and health needs, while increasing capacity in our community hospitals is required to alleviate ongoing overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. Investment in locally delivered mental health services also is a priority to reduce waiting times for those most in need.”
On housing, he said, “Increasing the supply of high-quality affordable and social homes across Clare is key to addressing accommodation shortfalls in the county. Our planning legislation must support those wishing to build homes in rural Clare as such developments bring vibrancy to the communities in which they are located. I also support bringing derelict buildings in our towns and villages back into use to reduce the pressure on the rental market.
“I will be a strong advocate for agriculture and rural communities in Dáil Éireann. I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by farm families and of the importance of the agricultural sector for our county. The Government’s environmental ambition must be matched by delivering the necessary supports to farmers. As someone who has lived in rural Clare all my life, I will seek increased investment in vital community, transport and environmental infrastructure.”
In terms of his support for the local tourism sector, Councillor Cooney stated, “Our tourism SMEs are critically important for the local economy and for creating and sustaining employment across the county. The existing accommodation shortage is unsustainable for the tourism and hospitality sector and must be redressed along with the requirement to retain existing supports and introduce new measures that reduce the operating costs for operators.”
He continued, “A thriving Shannon Airport drives multinational investment, generates employment and encourages tourists to stay in Clare. I will work with government to ensure our National Aviation Policy positions and supports the airport as a key strategic asset for balanced regional development in the West of Ireland,” he concluded.
Dr Nolan said he has lived and worked in west Clare as a GP since 1980, specialising in musculoskeletal medicine in Kilrush and Ennis in recent years.
“My work has presented me with a unique opportunity to know and understand the people of Clare and to develop a relationship based on trust – this is something I have always held dear.
“Politics for me is a means of securing social justice and ensuring ‘cothrom na feinne’; a fair crack of the whip for all. To this end, I served as a Town Commissioner for 10 years. I was one of a group of seven, – hugely backed by the people of the Loop Head Peninsula – who fought against the imposition of the Loran-C mast, and not only won a victory at the Supreme Court but brought about legislative change.
“As part of the Kilkee Planning Development Group, I resisted the overdevelopment that blighted Kilkee in the late 1990’s. With the late Peadar McNamara and Dr. John Barton, I formed,and was secretary of the Health Services Action Group, which campaigned to resist the downgrading of local hospitals, as proposed by the Hanly Report.
“While our A&E department closed in 2009, we succeeded in ensuring that Clare was one of the first areas nationally to get the new Paramedic service.
“Representing Fine Gael for Clare in the General Election is an opportunity for me to fulfil my ambition to finish the job of restoring acute medical services to Ennis Hospital and to improve Primary Care, especially in out-of-hours services.
“In tandem with this, I am committed to making our streets and rural communities feel safer and I am also committed to listening to what our farmers propose in mitigating the effects of climate change.
“I look forward to the campaign ahead and to meeting the people who live and work in Clare, and who make it the special place that it is,” he said.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.