Former IMO President Dr Martin Daly will swap his GP surgery for the Dáil this year as a newly elected TD for the Roscommon-Galway constituency.
The Ballygar GP told the Medical Independent (MI) he had been a member of Fianna Fáil since he was a teenager and made the decision to enter politics last year.
“One of the primary reasons I ran in the election was that there was no Government TD in the constituency following the last general election and I was concerned there would be no representation in Government for Roscommon-Galway again. So I just decided to go for it,” he told this newspaper.
In recent weeks, the rural TD has been busy prioritising the establishment of a constituency office. Dr Daly will continue to do some work at his GP practice during his term, but admitted this would be “limited” as politics becomes his primary focus.
Dr Daly confirmed that rural affairs and health are among his priorities as an elected representative. “We need to get beyond the thinking that health is some sort of black hole. The population has increased and we need more health infrastructure. We need to build more hospitals and primary care centres and we need to recruit and retain staff. There is a change in culture needed in the health service here,” he told MI.
“We need to truly value our nurses and allied health professionals and make them feel welcome in the health service. I have a son working in Perth and he feels welcomed and valued there, but his contemporaries here don’t feel that way in our health service. They don’t feel valued and welcomed.”
As a father of four children in their 20s, Dr Daly said he is also acutely aware of the impact of the housing supply crisis.
“It’s a generational challenge for them. Saving for a mortgage and buying a house is a struggle. The lack of supply is a huge issue.”
When asked about a possible role in Government, Dr Daly was quick to point out that he was a first-time TD.
He added: “My role will be a matter for the leadership. My main goal will be to represent my constituents who have put their faith in me and if there is another role in rural affairs, housing, or farming for example, I’d be happy to serve in any capacity.”
Meanwhile, a number of doctors are contesting the Seanad elections. Dr Cathal Berry, who served as an independent TD for Kildare South in the last Dáil, is running in the administrative panel. Consultant Geriatrician Prof Rónán Collins and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Prof Dara Kilmartin are both candidates in the National University of Ireland constituency.
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