Sitting Councillor Johnny McGuinness has been selected to contest the upcoming Local Election for Fine Gael in the Carndonagh area this June.
Cllr McGuinness was co-opted to the council in 2022, to fill the seat left by his late father, Bernard.
Johnny is also the manager of the family business, McGuinness’ Bar and Shop in Culdaff.
McGrory’s of Culdaff was the setting for the Carndonagh Electoral Area selection Convention for Fine Gael on Sunday night.
The Convention was Chaired by Deputy Frank Feighan, former Minister of State at the Department of Health, and was attended by Chair of the Executive Doreen Sheridan-Kennedy, by John Lohan, Fine Gael Regional Organiser for Donegal, and by National Executive member Gerry McMunn.
Doreen Sheridan-Kennedy; Deputy Frank Feighan; Cllr Johnny McGuinness; Gerry McMunn at the Carndonagh Electoral Area selection Convention for Fine Gael on Sunday night, 28th January.
McGuinness was proposed by Seamus ‘Fildara’ McLaughlin, and this was seconded by George Mills, who both expressed their gratitude to Johnny for his work on the ground since 2022, and their belief that he is hard-working, committed and wholly dedicated to the people of the Carndonagh Electoral Area.
In his address to a crowded room of party supporters, Cllr. Johnny McGuinness spoke of the great honour it is to be selected as the candidate to contest the Local Election.
“I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to represent you, the people of Culdaff and of the Carndonagh District of North Inishowen. It has been a great honour for me to serve this area over the last two years, since I took over my dad’s seat following his sudden passing.
“I was very proud to take over from my late father Bernard McGuinness almost 2 years ago now. My father treated everyone with equal respect, and he got deep satisfaction as a public representative from helping vulnerable people who needed assistance. My father served this community for 42 years, and I watched him all my life; from him, I learned hard work, listening carefully to people and valuing the people around you.
“Hundreds of times. I witnessed the difference he made as he represented people, fought for them, and I would like to believe that I have, and will continue to, carry on in that vein, representing people to the best of my ability.”
Cllr McGuinness said his aim has always been to uphold his late father’s values.
“Politics and society and, indeed, life, in Inishowen are of course very different now to when my Dad started out in the 1970s, but those core values that he passed on are as relevant today as they were then, and they will be my guiding principles also. My late father’s shoes could never be filled by anyone and all I have done since his passing is tried my hardest to deliver for the villages and communities throughout Inishowen.
“My father delivered key projects, such as the Culdaff marina, the Public Service Centre in Carndonagh, and when the Government were looking to close both Malin Head and Valencia, my father took the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to Malin Head and ensured the preservation and upgrading of both Malin Head and Valencia Coast Guard stations. That sort of drive and determination is what epitomised my father’s work ethic and dedication to Inishowen, and I would like to pay tribute to this dedication and devotion.”
The Defective Concrete Block scheme will once again be one of the most pressing issues of the election, and Cllr McGuinness said it will continue to be his priority.
“Mica is undoubtedly the greatest issue facing the people of Inishowen. My father represented many families on the subject of Mica; in fact, he spent his last hours alive lobbying on behalf of the Mica families.
“I know personally the great frustration he felt as he spoke to me extensively throughout his representations, and I know he would be disappointed to know that over the last two years I’ve been working hard on the very same issues for our neighbours and friends.
“As recently as December 8, I visited the Department of Housing, as part of a cross Party delegation, to lobby the officials to help deliver on the many shortfalls of the so-called Enhanced Scheme.
“I made proposals on the day on the transfer of eligibility and on the penalty-free downsizing being afforded to the many families affected by this travesty, which would be a help to some individuals and families affected by Mica.
“We could have had a much better scheme if our colleagues in Government had stood up and been responsible and backed Joe McHugh on his red line issues relating to the new scheme. In fact, had the 90/10 scheme been implemented in the manner in which it was originally designed, we could be in a much better place today, but unfortunately the 90 /10 scheme was hijacked and butchered at the regulation stage.
“Mica is, and continues to be, my main priority, and I am committed to doing everything I can to prioritise this plight at every opportunity available to me,” he said.
Cllr McGuinness continued: “I have been an advocate for the Tourism Sector for many years and it has a huge impact on how our local economy performs, including the many Jobs in the sector. I believe more could and should be done to provide more support and promotion of the sector and safeguard the employment that it provides. We have a shortage of bed nights locally at present and minimum capacity should be maintained to safeguard this important industry.
“Our many successful businesses have endured some of their toughest times in recent years and they will need all the support they can get to survive and to prosper into the future.
“As part of the N2A5 committee, I have been lobbying on behalf of our great County for the upgrading of the N2A5 from Dublin to Monaghan and beyond to Derry and Donegal. This is vital for the future of our County, and in a perfect world, we would be putting in the railway lines at the same time to save 40% of the cost of doing so.
“The Mental Health Residential Services (SRU) in Carndonagh is earmarked for closure without the residents being given an alternative solution or notice of same. I will continue lobbying hard on this issue over the coming weeks.
“With the rise of criminal incidents in our community, I will be lobbying Minister Helen McEntee for increased investment in this area – people need to feel safe in their own homes and in the local community, and I will be lobbying for a new Garda Barracks, an increased budget for new cars and other measures, such as cameras, which would increase visibility of our Garda force.
“I pledge to fight for the people of Inishowen, and if I am privileged enough to be returned to Donegal County Council in June, I would be proud to continue with the work my father has started,” concluded McGuinness.