Independent Ireland has announced its first candidate for the Local Elections 2024 – Cllr. Shane P O’Reilly in Co. Cavan.
In 2019, Cllr. O’Reilly polled 1,703 first preference votes in the Ballyjamesduff Municipal District (MD).
A former member of Fianna Fáil, he was elected on the first count with a surplus of almost 100 first preference votes.
The married father-of-five served as cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council on two occasions before reaching the age of 40, in both 2014 and 2019.
According to Independent Ireland, Cllr. O’Reilly believes in the power of positive community engagement and importance of local decision-making.
Commenting on joining the new party set up by TDs, Richard O’Donoghue and Michael Collins, Cllr. O’Reilly said: “All across Ireland, there is a mood for real change.
“I firmly believe that with common-sense, councillors, TDs, and senators coming together, we can deliver a real choice and implement the real change that so many people are seeking.
“I am delighted to be joining such a strong team and am keen to ensure that I continue to work for the people of my local area and for the wider Cavan constituency to help deliver a better future for all of my constituents.”
The Cavan local representative said that he also believes that Independent Ireland has the “drive, determination, and the people to deliver the change we need”.
He said that in order to have a real impact, politicians need to come together with new ideas and solutions.
“I remember a time when politics was a force for good in the country, and politicians did what they could to make life easier for people. Nowadays, politics seems to be more about point scoring than problem solving,” the councillor added.
“Progress has been great in some ways and in other ways we have called things progressive which have actually been regressive.
“Traditional political parties have taken for granted their loyal supporters and we want to reset the dial so that politics serves people again,” Cllr. O’Reilly added.
Party leader, Michael Collins, said he was delighted to welcome Shane P to Independent Ireland: “Shane P is a hard-working and common-sense driven politician. He has served his community tirelessly.
“Shane P is a proactive community worker, embodying the vital personality traits of compassion and consciousness which make him a capable public representative of the highest calibre.”