I’m Noel McCarthy, and I’m honoured to be your candidate for TD in East Cork. Raised in Cobh and now living in Fermoy with my family, I am deeply committed to the communities that have shaped me.
As Chairperson of both Fermoy Tidy Towns and the Fermoy Christmas Lights committee and a Trustee of Fermoy Soccer Club, I’ve worked hard to enhance our town while connecting and supporting the tremendous work so many others in our community do. I serve on the boards of the Cork ETB, Avondhu Blackwater Development Partnership, Presentation Primary School, and Colaiste an Chraoibhin, where I advocate for local development and educational excellence. I believe in “Local knowledge, national voice”—a vision to bring East Cork’s needs and ideas to the national stage. I’m dedicated to being a voice for our communities, ensuring our values and concerns are championed in Dáil Éireann.
Fermoy has not had a TD in over 30 years and Cobh hasn’t hadn’t one in over 25 years – this must change! I am the person to bring your local concerns to national level and follow them through with the passion and drive that I have a reputation for. This election, I’m asking for your support. Your community, my commitment—together, let’s create a stronger East Cork.
My Priorities:
As a businessowner I am aware of the increased costs of doing business in Ireland. I will examine all possibilities for reducing the burden on our small and medium businesses, including reassessing current VAT rates.
I will listen to and advocate for parents of children with special needs. Families need support, and I will work with and for them.
Agriculture is the bedrock of the rural economy, and farmers are custodians of our natural environment. I will work with farmers and farming organisations to ensure family farms have a sustainable future.
The burden of childcare is too great in some part of the country and this constituency. Greater supports are required, and where there is no private suppliers of childcare, the state must establish a service.
It is unacceptable that some parents find it impossible to enrol their children in their local primary or post-primary school or are unable to access school transport. I will work to ensure that all children have access to school places and school transport.
Infrastructure projects cannot be further delayed. I will prioritise the delivery of funds for projects in Cork East, such as the N72 in Fermoy, the construction of a second bridge for Cobh, water supply in Ballyhooly, and sewerage treatment in Mitchelstown.
Housing construction continues to be an issue in Cork East. The new Planning and Development Act needs to be used to improve construction of housing. State agencies must also ensure that services (water and sewerage) are in place.
Solar Farms are part of the future for green energy, but they must only be constructed as part of a national plan. It is unacceptable that large solar farm projects are being planned without a national policy.