Concern over Clonmel's town centre and water supply are major issues in Tipperary Local Elections

Myriam Madigan, the Green Party candidate in the Clonmel Local Electoral area, has pledged to work to make the Clonmel area a clean, cheerful and charming place for all to live and a welcoming place for friends to visit if elected.

“I am interested in the food we eat, especially where it comes from and how it is grown. I am a very active supporter of ‘Buy/Eat/Grow Local’, energy efficiency, repurposing, walking, public transport, local beautification and planting trees.”

Her priorities include health, home and the environment.

Clonmel has been the adopted home of Fine Gael’s Cllr John FitzGerald for the past 40 years, and the problems that the town is experiencing with its water supply is one of his priorities.

“These problems have to be tackled with consultation between Uisce Éireann and the people of the town,” he says.

Housing is another key issue, and he says there are too many people on the housing list.

As someone who has a brother with autism, he’s aware of the need to provide services for people with autism and their “tired” parents. He says there has to be investment in that area.

Cllr FitzGerald says that Clonmel’s town centre has to be made more vibrant.

“I hate to hear people saying the town centre is a shambles. If elected I will use every hour I’m in the town to give it some thought as to how it can be brought back to what it was before,” he added.

The big issue that District Mayor Richie Molloy has noticed while canvassing is the widespread problem with the water supply in Clonmel.

“If elected I will be trying to get government funding to upgrade the network, which is falling apart,” he says.

The non-party councillor says that housing is another priority, with a lot of adults still living at home with their parents and people sleeping on couches in their friends’ homes.

The District Mayor says that he is well aware of people’s concern about Clonmel’s town centre.

He says that if the funding is made available from the URDF (Urban Regeneration and Development Fund) it will change the town centre. He is also happy to see that progress is finally being made on the former Clonmel Arms Hotel.