A new candidate has been nominated to contest the upcoming Fine Gael selection convention to contest next year’s local elections in the Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick local electoral area.
25-year-old Conor Bergin, who is a native of Borris-In-Ossory where he is also currently living, works locally as political staff to Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, based in his constituency office in Portlaoise.
Having recently secured a number of branch nominations, Conor confirmed to LaoisToday this morning that he will officially be a candidate for the upcoming convention.
He is likely to go forward at the convention alongside sitting Councillors John King and David Goodwin.
It is understood that Fine Gael are likely to run 3 or 4 candidates in the area – with only three candidates confirming interest at present.
Conor is a new candidate, fresh to the political scene in County Laois but he has already been heavily involved in local politics for a number of years and is well known locally through his involvement in Laois Fine Gael.
He has served as Constituency Secretary, Borris-In-Ossory Tidy Towns/Community Development Association and Laois Public Participation Network.
He currently sits on the board of Laois Partnership as an area representative for Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick local electoral area. Most recently, he has been heavily involved in the Borris-In-Ossory Playground Project committee.
“As a young, hard-working and energetic candidate in the district, I want to bring a new perspective and fresh approach to representing people in the Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick electoral area. We need a strong voice and someone to speak up for the area, who is not afraid to raise important issues such as the poor condition of many local roads, the need for additional street lighting and footpaths in rural areas and the need for investment in high speed broadband in rural towns and villages’’
‘’I think that Councillors need to do more to keep in touch with the people who elect them. A knock on the door once every 5 years isn’t enough. There is often a disconnect between the views of councillors and the communities they represent. I believe that local public representatives should do more to keep in touch with their constituents between elections and listen to their views’’ Conor Bergin said, speaking in Borris-In-Ossory this morning.
The Fine Gael Local Election Selection Convention for Borris-In-Ossory/Mountmellick LEA is due to take place on January 31 in Mountrath.
