Meet the candidates: Michael Fitzmaurice, Independent Ireland (Roscommon Galway)

Here is our Q&A with Michael Fitzmaurice, from Glinsk / Creggs on the Roscommon / Galway border. After ten years as an Independent TD, he is now one of the leading figures in the fledgling Independent Ireland party. He first took a Dáil seat in the by-election which followed Luke 'Ming' Flanagan's election to the European Parliament, in 2014, and he has retained his seat at each general election since.

Do Independents and smaller political parties have any real power to enact change in the Dail?

Firstly, Dáils differ down through the years. Tony Gregory had a massive impact as an Independent. Because one-party Government is gone, it now takes two or three, or maybe four, parties or groups to make up a Dáil. The last Dáil had three parties and Independents were left out, so Michael Collins, Richard O’Donoghue and myself put the Independent Ireland party together and have twenty-eight candidates running on clear policies and we're hoping people put their trust in us.

If numbers fall right, and policy is agreed, we may be part of Government.

What are some of the achievements can you point to during your years as a TD?

The one thing that I would say myself is that when I ran for the Dáil first, there was no budget for rural affairs, and now we have a department with a budget. I kept hammering the door on that. I kept hammering the door on broadband, and by 2026 all houses will have it. I also have been on the agriculture committee and have always stood for agriculture, for communities, for the disability sector, for balanced regional development and to help our elderly and for the SME sector in the constituency. I have also kept the pressure on in relation to the flooding at Lough Funshinagh.

Why did you decide to run for the Dáil?

I believe passionately in rural Ireland, its towns and villages, and I believe we need strong representation in the west of Ireland. We need to give this and the next generation an equal opportunity to grow, to live, and to work in areas where they come from and also to give young people the opportunity to excel by putting the infrastructure in place that will create that opportunity.

What one issue would be your top priority if you are re-elected in Roscommon Galway?

I won't say one issue but my top four are: housing, agriculture, balanced regional development/business, and better health care and disability services.