Aisling Moran has declared as an Independent candidate for the forthcoming General Election in Laois.
The outspoken councillor from the Graiguecullen-Portarlington area said she was encouraged to run by the amount of offers of support she received right across the county.
From the Killeen-Ballylinan area, Moran has been a Laois County Councillor since being elected for the first time in 2019. On that occasion she retained the seat for the Fine Gael party, which had been previously held by her late father John. Indeed John contested the 2011 General Election as Charlie Flanagan’s running mate.
Aisling left Fine Gael in 2023 to become an Independent and was comfortably re-elected in the recent Local Elections.
Her declaration to run means that there are now will be at least three Independent candidates in the race – Moran, former Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley and Elaine Mullally from Portarlington.
Also certain to be contesting are Fianna Fail’s long-serving TD Sean Fleming, veteran Fine Gael councillor Willie Aird, Maria McCormack for Sinn Fein, Mary Hand from Aontu and Rosie Palmer from the Green Party. Labour are also expected to announce a candidate in the coming days.
Interestingly of the eight candidates confirmed so far, five are women. For this election, Laois is back as a three-seat constituency having been separated from Offaly. The last time Laois was a three-seater was in 2016, when there were just six candidates and it took only three counts to elect Sean Fleming, Brian Stanley and Charlie Flanagan.
Known for her forthright views on accountability, value for money and transparency Moran says she is not running as a protest candidate but rather to give the electorate in Laois a real choice, an alternative voice, and a credible option for change.
“I don’t believe anyone is entitled to a Dáil seat and I put the public interest ahead of any personal ambition or party loyalties, that’s why I am an independent.
“People talk a lot about change and wanting change. Well, if you want change, you must vote for it, and change starts here.”
She continued: “There has been a woeful waste of the taxpayer’s money. The Children’s Hospital costs quadrupling, and the infamous Dáil bicycle shed are just two examples, the tip of the iceberg, but no one is ever held to account.
“Who signed off on the Children’s Hospital, the current Taoiseach, Simon Harris, who wants to pretend that everything is honky dory and buy off the electorate with a splurge of double-week payments.
“Meanwhile businesses are going to the wall, the cost of living is gone through the roof, the housing crises just gets worse and the waiting lists and pressure on the health service and frontline staff are more acute than ever, while our young people once they qualify are voting with their feet and emigrating in their droves. Not a sausage in the Budget for our students or to help retain and recruit crucial staff such as nurses, guards, and teachers.
“I have solutions and a vision for a better way, and a safer more secure, more sustainable society.
“Yet, when you try to put forward these views, ask the hard questions the government parties circle the wagons and attempt to bully you into backing off. Well, I won’t be silenced or deterred and will continue to always serve the public interest rather than the vested interests.
“I am humbled and grateful for the fantastic support I received in my own community in the local elections earlier this year and the general election provides a great opportunity for Laois to shake up the cosy consensus and the same old, some old and put an independent woman in the Dáil who will put people first. Independents will have a big say in the formation of the next government and I want Laois to have a strong voice at that table,” Cllr Moran concluded.
Aisling Moran’s Director of Elections is Charlie O’Meara and her Campaign Manager is Gavin Deering. Her official campaign launch will take place in Christy Farrell’s, Killeen at 8pm on Saturday, November 9th. Everyone who would like to support Aisling’s campaign is welcome.
