Sat, 16 Nov, 2024 - 09:15

Crucial constituencies: Donegal profile – Candidates and issues

Here is everything you need to know about Donegal before heading to the polls on November 29th.

Tomas Doherty

Crumbling homes are at the top of the election agenda in Donegal, as a new party campaigning on the defective blocks crisis hopes to secure a Dáil seat.

Here is everything you need to know about the area before heading to the polls on November 29th.

The constituency

Donegal is one of the few constituencies to remain unchanged since the last election.

Nine electoral divisions in south Donegal, including Ballintra, Ballyshannon and Bundoran, are part of the Sligo-Leitrim constituency.

The issues

Donegal is one of the most deprived areas in the country – 29 electoral divisions in the county are disadvantaged, according to the Pobal Deprivation Index.

The housing crisis in Donegal is particularly acute due to a combination of low supply, high dereliction rates and the defective concrete block scandal.

The Government’s remediation scheme for defective concrete offers grants of up to €420,000 per dwelling to repair or rebuild them.

But homeowners in Donegal with defective blocks are continuing to struggle despite the introduction of the scheme.

Other issues in Donegal include access to health services and long-overdue upgrades to transport infrastructure.

Seats

There are five seats in Donegal, unchanged since the last election.

The candidates

Donegal is a Sinn Féin stronghold and the party has decided to field three candidates here.

However, Sinn Féin and the other large parties will face a strong challenge from the 100% Redress Party, a newly formed group that campaigns on the defective blocks issue.

100% Redress won four seats in the local elections earlier this year, so a Dáil seat is a definite possibility.

Fine Gael may come away empty-handed in Donegal after a poor result in the local elections.