Younger candidates try to make their mark locally

Nobody, it seems, is stepping aside to let them through, but a new generation of Carlow politicians is ready to make a bid for power.

By offering a "golden handshake" to local politicians with more than five years' service who are willing to retire before the elections in June, the Government has indicated that it wants to see younger men and women in the council chambers of the State.

The so-called "scrappage scheme" has not been too well received in Carlow; all of the town's nine UDC members are seeking re-election while only one or two councillors in the county appear to be willing to step down.

Aspiring politicians waiting in the wings insist they're not disappointed and will be seeking the support of the electorate on their own merits. They also dismiss the suggestion that local councillors yield little real power and the important decisions are made by officials. "I wouldn't go into politics unless I thought I could be effective," says Fergal Browne (25), a first-time Fine Gael candidate in the Carlow UDC election.

"I would have no interest in just going into a talking shop."

Both Fergal and Fianna Fail candidate Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (33), who is standing for both the urban and county councils in Carlow, know exactly what they are letting themselves in for by attempting to launch a career in politics.

Fergal's father, John Browne, is the only Carlow-based TD in the Dail, and Jennifer is a daughter of a long-standing local councillor, Jimmy Murnane, which makes her well qualified to understand why even the lure of a £750-per-year-of-service payment has not persuaded senior politicians in the area to call it a day.

"I know what it means to him," she says of her father's 15-year career as a councillor. "It's his life. Why should he give it up? If I was involved for that long, I wouldn't want to step aside either." They also cite similar major issues in their campaigns - the lack of affordable housing, Carlow's growing traffic congestion, the need for a town park or playground, to name just three.

Clifford T. Reid, however, has an entirely different agenda, and he won't be knocking on too many doors when he launches his campaign for a seat on Athy Urban District Council - but he's "very confident" he'll be elected.

The 20-year-old president-elect of Carlow Institute of Technology students' union has specifically targeted young voters who, he says, are largely ignored by local authorities. He's speaking from direct experience.

"I've often written into the UDC giving my opinion about what should be done about a particular subject or other. I never even got a reply. They're not interested in my point of view or the point of view of the youngster in general," he says.

A widespread canvass of the town would be a waste of time, he insists, acknowledging that over-40s "are not going to vote for me". Instead, he'll be targeting the pubs and other centres frequented by the 18- to 25-year-olds who, were it not for the presence in the election of a like-minded candidate, might not vote at all.

For Clifford, an important issue is the move to ban drinking in public, which he firmly opposes. Come summer evenings, he says, people "like to have a can beside the river or in front of one of the pubs". With him in the council, he believes, young people would be forewarned about such measures and be able to voice their opposition.

William Paton (35), a recent recruit to the Labour Party who is making his first bid for a seat on Carlow County Council, has more traditional causes on his agenda, like the need to reduce housing waiting lists and improve access to healthcare.

A long-time campaigner on a wide variety of issues in the Tullow area, he is convinced that working from within the council chamber than without is much more effective. Having lobbied county councillors on behalf of bodies like the Tullow drugs awareness group, he says he knows how effective they can be.

"Despite what people say, they do actually influence what the county managers and officials do in their area. They do have an impact," he says.

All four indicate that they have long-term ambitions to go into national politics, while stressing that they're focused on the first hurdle, the local elections on June 11th. Fergal Browne is particularly cautious on the prospect of one day sitting in the Dail. "Talk to me on June 13th. I'm concentrating on the local elections. Anyone can start a marathon, but can they finish it?"