PALLASGREEN native Rob O’Donnell has announced his candidacy in the local elections, running in the Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal District.
Mr O’Donnell’s campaign marks a significant milestone as he aims to become the first Green Party representative elected in the county area of Limerick.
However, it is not the Limerick man’s first foray into politics, as he previously ran in the 2020 General Election in neighbouring Tipperary, where he polled a sizeable 3,170 first preference votes.
This experience as a 23-year old, he says, made him more interested in politics as a way to make change, and did not put him off participating again.
“I ran a bit of a whirlwind three-week campaign back then and learned so much from the experience,” he explained.
“I was running because I felt there was a better way of doing things, and that the vision for what our country can be was seriously lacking from far too many of our elected representatives.
“Being in debates with former ministers and political heavyweights was, at first, a bit daunting, but very soon on the campaign trail I realised that they were just human too and were not always forthcoming with the best of ideas or priorities.
“I want to be a part of that change that is needed as we meet the big challenges in the years ahead,” he added.
Central to Mr O’Donnell’s platform is his proposal to establish a commuter rail service in the east of the county.
By advocating for the revitalisation of existing rail lines and the construction of new train stations, the County Limerick man aims to alleviate traffic congestion, foster sustainable growth, and enhance regional connectivity.
“I firmly believe that investing in sustainable transportation infrastructure is key to unlocking the full potential of our county and a lot of that groundwork will be done by councillors in their votes on zoning and creation of the next county development plan,” he said.
“A commuter rail service not only addresses our environmental concerns, but also presents an opportunity to improve the accessibility of our county for those who might not or cannot drive, and it will improve the overall quality of life for all residents.”
