General Election Candidates for 2024:
The General Election 2024 takes place across Ireland on Friday, 29th November 2024.
Waterford will elect four TDs. Sitting TDs David Cullinane, Mary Butler, Matt Shanahan and Marc O'Cathasaigh are all seeking re-election.
The full list of candidates are listed below.
You can check if you are registered to vote by visiting www.checktheregister.ie and find more information on the voting process by visiting www.electoralcommission.ie
Meet The Candidates
David Cullinane TD - Sinn Féin
David Cullinane is the Sinn Féin TD for Waterford, first elected at the 2016 general election. He previously served in the Seanad from 2011-2016.
David is the father of two boys, Emmet and Finn. He is a long-term campaigner on health and public services in the South-East, particularly on cancer, cardiac, and palliative care services.
He has been an advocate for 24/7 emergency cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford, expanding Waterford Airport, regenerating Waterford North Quays, establishing a University for the South East, investing in Waterford Port, and developing offshore energy.
David is the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health since July 2020. He was previously spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, on Brexit, and on Climate Action and Communications.
David has served on Waterford City Council, in the Seanad and in the Dáil. He wants to bring his experience into the heart of Government as a future Minister for Health, to transform our health care system and to deliver for Waterford and the Southeast.
The election of two Sinn Fèin TD’s from Waterford can help make that a reality. David and Conor are working as a team to deliver for Waterford City and County. With your No 1 and No 2 vote let’s make it happen.
National Politics:
The choice you have in this election is clear.
Change: A new government, with new ideas, clear plans and a fresh approach;
More of the Same: Or the same parties who have been in government for the past 100 years.
With so much waste of public money and the failure particularly in relation to housing we cannot afford another 5 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government
It’s time to give Sinn Féin a chance.
We have the team, we have the plans and we have the will.
The only way to get a change of government is to vote for Sinn Féin.
Sinn Féin’s key priorities include:
- Making housing affordable - “Sinn Féin has the plan to make homes affordable and bring home ownership back into reach for working people.”
- €10 a day childcare - “Sinn Féin in government will deliver childcare at €10 a day per child”
- Abolishing USC for average workers - “Sinn Féin will abolish the USC on the first €45K of your earnings, benefiting all workers.”
- Access to a GP or a dentist when you need one
- Action to advance Irish Unity
- Abolishing the carers means test
- Tackling government waste
Sinn Féin - It's time for change
Senator John Cummins - Fine Gael
Born and raised in Waterford, John attended St. Stephen’s NS and De La Salle College. Growing up, John was heavily involved in scouting, theatre and a wide variety of sports including Gaelic football and soccer. After secondary John went on to study Physical Education and Geography teaching at the University of Limerick where he received a first-class honours degree for his studies. John taught in a number of secondary schools across Waterford and has been involved with many sporting organisations both as a player and coach, while also being an active councillor.
John was first elected to Waterford Council at the age of 21 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2019. He has served as Mayor of Waterford on two occasions and as Chairman of the South-East Regional Authority. During his second Mayoralty, John worked heavily on laying the groundwork for the North Quays development which is currently under construction.
John has served on numerous boards and committees during his time in politics including Waterford Airport, Theatre Royal, Waterford Enterprise Board and Waterford & Wexford ETB. On his election to Seanad Eireann in 2020, he was appointed as Fine Gael spokesperson on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. While serving on the Joint Oireachtas Committee, John fought for vacant property refurbishment grants to remove dereliction; help for first time buyers through the Help-to-Buy and First Home Scheme, and more affordable housing solutions across Waterford including Cost Rental and Affordable Purchase.
Married to his wife Inga, John has the energy, experience and passion to represent ALL of Waterford as your next Fine Gael TD in Dáil Éireann. If John is honoured to be elected by the people of Waterford, he will be the most senior Fine Gael TD in the South East region which can only benefit Waterford going forward, so on polling day, please give your No.1 Vote to John Cummins.
Priorities:
- MORE HOMES, MORE HOME OWNERSHIP: Build on the progress made in the provision of social, affordable and private homes in Waterford. Maintain supports for first time buyers and those who want to renovate a vacant property, while increasing the availability of serviced sites within local communities for those who want to build.
- BETTER PUBLIC SERVICES & INFRASTRUCTURE: Ensure road, rail and air (Waterford Airport) infrastructure is developed. Deliver targeted investment across health (UHW), education (SETU) and essential services to ensure they meet the needs of our communities.
- BUILDING SUSTAINABLE RURAL & URBAN COMMUNITIES: Ensure our agriculture & fishing industries are supported, while building on the progress made through the rural and urban regeneration funding, sports grants and support for the arts.
- ENFORCING L AW & ORDER: Increasing and resourcing Gardai across Waterford, including body worn cameras. Protecting frontline staff and ensuring a firm but fair migration system.
- ECONOMIC STABILITY: This cannot be taken for granted because a stable economic environment is the bedrock on which everything else gets built. Support with cost-of-living pressures, while also investing in future funds to guard against any shocks to our economy.
Conor Mc Guinness - Sinn Féin
Conor Mc Guinness is originally from Dungarvan, Conor lives in An Rinn, where he and his wife are raising a young family in the heart of Gaeltacht na nDéise. Conor was first elected to Waterford City & County Council in 2019 and has led the Sinn Féin group of councillors since that time.
Conor is a vocal and outspoken advocate for County Waterford. He is determined that towns, villages and communities across the County get their fair share of investment and public services. He is a director of the Waterford Volunteer Centre, and former company secretary of Cairde Credit Union, which covers much of Mid and West Waterford. He is currently vice-chair of Foras na Gaeilge - the body tasked with promoting the Irish language across Ireland.
He is proud to be a member of the Dungarvan Branch of UNITE trade union, and an advocate for workers rights and equality.
Dungarvan, the mid county and West Waterford needs a TD that will stand up and represent them. I want to be that TD. I want to be your strong voice.
Priorities:
- Delivery of affordable, private and social housing in towns and villages across Co. Waterford.
- A common sense approach to planning in rural areas so that young people can raise families within the community they grew up in.
- Community Centre, Family Resource Centre & lonad Gaeilge for Dungarvan and West Waterford
- Capital investment in a Public Swimming Pool, and in Athletics, sports and recreation facilities for the region.
- Action from IDA and Enterprise Ireland to sustain local jobs across Co Waterford
- Action from TIl on safety and surface. upgrades for the N25, from Kilmeadan to Youghal Bridge; and on the N72 from Dungarvan to Tallowbridge.
- Increased funding for coastal communities and for rural economic development, coupled with a fair and consistent approach to family farms and the agri-food sector.
- Investment in our regional and local roads network, streets and footpaths, water services, and waste water infrastructure.
- More Gardaí and a greater emphasis on visible policing across both rural and urban communities.
National Politics:
The choice you have in this election is clear.
Change: A new government, with new ideas, clear plans and a fresh approach;
More of the Same: Or the same parties who have been in government for the past 100 years.
With so much waste of public money and the failure particularly in relation to housing we cannot afford another 5 years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government
It’s time to give Sinn Féin a chance.
We have the team, we have the plans and we have the will.
The only way to get a change of government is to vote for Sinn Féin.
Sinn Féin - It's time for change
Marc Ó Cathasaigh - Green Party
The three promises I made to voters in 2020 – the building of the 2nd Cath Lab, funding for the North Quays and the designation of SETU have all been delivered.
There’s much more to do.
We need:
- to develop a Waterford Metropolitan Rail Network to open up more land for housing for our young people.
- the Capital funding needed for SETU fulfil its promise.
- to unlock our potential as a renewable energy powerhouse.
- to invest in health and disability services to cater to our growing population.
We want to anchor Waterford City as the regional capital for the wider Southeast
We must face up to Climate Change and Nature Loss and do what we can to help avoid the worst impacts here in Ireland.
I’m an educator, a husband, a father to three boys, and Waterford born and bred. It has been my honour to work for my constituency, my country and the wider world since my election.
In 2020, the Green Party promised a Decade of Change. In the last 5 years, we have delivered real, lasting and meaningful change. I’m excited to continue this work for Waterford, to remain True Blue, Real Green.
My Priorities:
A strong Waterford for a Strong Region
Investing in Waterford benefits the entire region. We need to develop key projects – housing for our young people, improved health services, renewable energy, water infrastructure, and a Waterford Metropolitan Rail system that will position Waterford City as the capital of the Southeast.
Buidling a Future-Fit Economy
The jobs of the future will come to where there’s a talented, educated workforce, clean and reliable energy and a great quality of life. Strengthening SETU, investing in renewables and ensuring Waterford remains Ireland’s best place to live will set us up for a prosperous and sustainable future.
Investing in our communities
From Tramore to Tallow, Dungarvan to Dunmore, we need to continue to invest in the infrastructure and services that makes our towns and villages safe and vibrant places - supporting our schools, sports facilities, playgrounds, community halls and delivering the public transport that ties them all together.
Health, Care and Wellbeing
We are living longer, healthier lives. There’s both an opportunity and a challenge in that. We need to take care of those who take care of us, either in the home or professionally. We need to invest in physical, mental and social health, and create a healthier wider environment.
Nature Restoration
Ireland played a crucial role in saving the Nature Restoration Law. We’ll support our farmers, fishers and foresters in changing how we manage our lands and seas. We need to ensure access people have access to nature. Our children deserve to hear the curlew’s call.
Climate Action
Tackling the Climate Crisis is the challenge of our generation. Our emissions are finally coming down, but we have much more to do. We need to ensure that nobody is left behind as we move away from polluting fossil fuels. We need to provide for the needs of today without taking from future generations.
Killian Mangan - Independent
Killian Mangan is a housing and climate activist who recently ran in the local election for Tramore-Waterford City West, coming 8th of 17 candidates in the six-seat LEA in first preferences on a platform of more democracy and decentralisation.
Killian grew up in Butlerstown and went to school in Tramore, before emigrating to Scotland and Barcelona to study and work. While living abroad, Killian became engaged in political activism, with a focus on climate and housing. As an active member of Living Rent tenants' union in Scotland and a founder of CATU (Community Action Tenants' Union) Waterford, Killian has had years of experience in tackling the housing crisis. He also founded the eco-socialist political party 'Rabharta - The Party For Workers And Carers' 4 years ago and ran under that party in the locals before leaving to run as a progressive independent candidate in the general election.
In addition to housing and climate activism, Killian is a keen proponent for accessibility, as someone living with an invisible disability, and for an inclusive society, as someone who is openly LGBT+. His focus in the general election, similar to his local election campaign, is to push for a more democratic and decentralised political system, in order to empower communities so that everyone can build thriving communities and decarbonise in a way which helps people and the planet.
Killian is clear that he would not support a Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael coalition, due to the impact that would have on others in his generation who are continuing to emigrate in their tens of thousands because of the policies and ideology promoted by these parties, and is calling for an ambitious and progressive government to be the objective of any progressive parties and independents, in order to obtain a real and better alternative for the first time in 100 years.
How Do We All Thrive?
- We All Thrive with Universal Homes: Creating a state construction company to build public homes without income limits and support cooperative housing through empowering credit unions. Implement European-style rent controls which set a maximum rent for each home based on an index created by the government and improve tenants' rights be banning no-fault evictions and implementing the right to decorate and have pets.
- We All Thrive with Universal Public Services: Removing means-testing and offering public services such as healthcare, childcare, social care, home retrofits, education, and transport which are free at the point of use for everyone.
- We All Thrive with Better Rail: Advocating for a direct Waterford City to Cork City train, with stations in Tramore, Dungarvan, Youghal, and Midleton in order to transform the daily lives of locals and the local economies of Waterford by bringing a direct rail connection between our 2nd and 5th largest cities. This is the norm in most other countries with much less money than Ireland. I will also continue to advocate for a Waterford Luas line along the Cork Road into the Quay and back out the Dunmore Road.
- We All Thrive with a Radical Plan for Decentralisation: Ireland remains one of the most centralised countries in Europe and in the OECD, and that has led to less efficient and less accountable public services and ailing public infrastructure. Power and funding must be decentralised down to the more accountable local and regional levels.
- We All Thrive with Democratic Local and Regional Governments: Ireland is one of the only democracies in the world where we lack the right to elect our local government, which leads us to trust our local government less and allows Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to justify centralising everything in Dublin. Allowing each council to decide 1 of 3 democratic structures (a directly-elected mayor, a cabinet system, or a committee system) and introducing Provincial Mayors and Regional Assemblies would allow us to thrive as a county and region and act as a counterbalance to Dublin.
- We All Thrive with an Ethical World: Support Ukraine and Palestine in any way possible, including with Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions against Russia and Israel, while maintaining and strengthening our military neutrality and empowering the United Nations.
I am only 1 independent candidate and don't want to make empty promises to change the above by myself. That is why I have worked with other independent and progressive candidates to launch the electoral platform We All Thrive, which prioritises the voices of all voters to tell candidates what is needed to allow us to thrive! So far, Louise Heavin, a progressive independent candidate running in Longford-Westmeath is signed up, with other independents around the country interested. In order to popularise and implement the radical systemic changes which we all need, we must co-create a shared manifesto together.
Add your voice at: https://weallthrive.ie/
WE ALL THRIVE when we DEMOCRATISE, DECENTRALISE, DECARBONISE!
Sadhbh O'Neill - Labour
I am the Labour Party’s candidate for the General Election in the constituency of Waterford. I live in Waterford city, and have a background in teaching public policy and environmental campaigning. As a former senior climate advisor to Friends of the Earth Ireland, and a former Dublin City Councillor, I have 30 years of experience in campaigning for change. I am delighted to be going before the people of Waterford and I hope that I can count on your Number One vote.
From my experience, the number one issue that comes up is a sense that Waterford has been left behind in public investment. We hear about billions of Euro being available, but there is no funding for basic things like GPs, public lighting, footpath repairs and reliable bus services. There is gross underinvestment in the public services that people rely on - GPs, dentists, hospital services, schools and public transport. It seems easier to get a €336,000 bike shed built than a pothole repaired.
Ireland may be wealthier now than we have ever been in our history. But not everyone is feeling the benefits, and Waterford is losing out on its share of capital investment. Waterford has a chronic housing shortage, poorly resourced and patchy health services, not enough teachers, inadequate funding for schools and special education and not enough childcare places.
Labour has ambitious, constructive, and costed plans to tackle the problems that blight so many lives, such as the lack of affordable housing, the rising cost of living and the lack of enough affordable childcare places.
Labour will build 50,000 new homes a year and create a state construction company. We will give renters greater rights and security, and end the scourge of dereliction, land hoarding and vacancy across our towns and cities.
Stronger supports are essential for struggling households in Waterford. Labour will ensure that tax credits and social welfare payments are increased each year to beat inflation. We will tackle price gouging and ensure that lower electricity prices come down to the European average and we will tackle energy poverty with a massive street-by-street retrofitting programme.
My Priorities:
- An increase in social and affordable housing throughout Waterford. Funding to retrofit all local authority housing in Waterford by 2030 and retrofitting schemes that are easier to apply for.
- A dedicated fund for footpath repairs, and improved pedestrian facilities and walkability in all of County Waterford’s towns and villages.
- A review of the PPP contract on the Waterford By-pass to free Waterford of avoidable congestion and pollution.
- Improved public transport services especially the Waterford - Limerick rail, more frequent Local Link services and Active Travel funding in all county villages and towns.
- Extension of the Waterford Greenway from Dungarvan to Mallow.
- Support for state investment in Waterford Regional Airport and maintain the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
- More visible policing on our streets, with enforcement focused on illegal dumping, improving community safety and road safety for all road users.
- Expand capacity and tackle overcrowding at Waterford Hospital including 24/7 cardiac care and fully fund the national cancer strategy.
labour.ie/people/sadhbh-oneill
Mary Roche - Social Democrats
Hi, I’m Cllr. Mary Roche.
I am a Waterford woman, born and bred, and I am incredibly proud of that. I live with my husband, Liam, and the younger two of our three children in Waterford city.
I have worked my whole life for the betterment of Waterford. I have run my own business here; I was a founding member of Red Kettle Theatre Company and served as a Director of Waterford Chamber of Commerce while working as Marketing Manager for WLR. I have been a local representative since 1999 and served as Mayor of our historic city.
I know the potential of our city and county. I know how big hearted we are as people. I know how passionate we are and what we have to give - not just to the city and county, but to Ireland. We are poised to deliver for Ireland, but we are being held back in comparison to other regions around the country, Waterford’s progress has been stymied.
We are all aware of the issues Waterford has faced. Whether it is 24/7 cardiac care, funding for our airport, equal access to third level education, or getting our fair share of capital investment. The time is now to talk about solutions. And the Social Democrats, with me as its elected TD for Waterford, can offer that.
If elected, the Social Democrats have COMMITTED to upgrading Waterford Airport and expanding the runway. We have COMMITTED to elevating SETU to FULL university status. We have COMMITTED to radical reforms in housing to deliver tens of thousands of affordable purchase homes. We have COMMITTED to the delivery of healthcare that is free at the point of access, with proper funding for UHW. We have COMMITTED to fund childcare and disability services.
We need to restructure how we achieve balanced regional development in Ireland. Waterford can only start to compete, grow, and develop when investment is spread more evenly to our region.
If you want to fight for a better deal for Waterford and for a fairer Ireland, and if you believe in a party that stands against injustice and refuses to punch down.
If you want change,
Then vote for it.
Mary Roche, Social Democrats
Independent
- Frank Conway
- John D. Walsh
- Killian Mangan
- Mark O'Neill
- Matt Shanahan
Sinn Fein
- David Cullinane
- Conor McGuinness
Fine Gael
- John Cummins
Fianna Fail
- Mary Butler
Social Democrats
- Mary Roche
Green Party
- Marc O'Cathasaigh
Labour
- Sadhbh O'Neill
People Before Profit / Solidarity
- Patrick Curtin
Aontu
- Ronan Cleary
Guth Na hÉireann
- Aaron Joyce
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