Jacinta O'Sullivan of Fine Gael and Martin Byrne of Direct Democracy are the latest election candidates to have accepted invitations to attend a special Town Meeting in Kilcullen on Thursday night next, writes Brian Byrne.
The event, which begins at 8pm in the Town Hall, is an opportunity for Kilcullen voters to meet most of their potential councillors directly and to quiz them about their proposed policies and actions in relation to Kilcullen issues.
Earlier acceptances came from James Lawless (FF), Willie Callaghan (FF), Rob Power (FF), Anne Breen (Lab), Fergus Carpenter (Lab), Seamie Moore (Ind), Billy Hillis (FG), Darren Scully (FG) and Sorcha O'Neill (SF). It now means that 11 of the 16 candidates in the Naas Electoral Area are coming to Kilcullen.
The meeting is unique in that the community is being pro-active in getting the candidates in one place to lay out their stalls, so to speak. And the timing, with exactly a week before polling day, means that any issues raised and policies offered will be 'hot' for candidates and electorate alike.
Suggested topics include facilities for children and seniors, upkeep of roads and other essential local infrastructures, water services and related matters, but there's scope to raise anything else of a local nature for which a councillor will have responsibility.
The event is being hosted by Kilcullen Community Action, and will be chaired by Maurice O'Mahony. The organisers have done their bit — now it's up to all voting residents of Kilcullen to show the candidates that they care enough about their community to come out on the night and actively participate in the process.
For sure, it will be a much more effective place to argue the issues and the personalities than can be done on a a short two minutes on the doorstep where neither side wants to delay too long.
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