For the general election, I have decided to conduct a candidate interview series with the candidates seeking to represent Tipperary in the 34th Dáil. I initially hoped to arrange to do proper interviews with as many candidates as possible, but even when the candidate pool was much smaller, it was going to be hard to pull off. Now that the number of candidates has increased sharply, and with the window for the election itself closing, it would be impossible.
Given the logistical difficulties, and in the interest of giving the candidates equal time and opportunity to respond, I’ve emailed them each ten questions and will be accepting written or recorded responses. Nine of the ten questions are the same for all candidates, with the tenth question tailored to the candidate. All candidates of the same party were given the same tailored question. No interview will be published if the candidate does not answer all ten questions.
A number of candidates have already agreed to participate, but again, in the interest of giving them equal time and opportunity to respond, I have also emailed those candidates who did not respond to my initial query. I will be publishing responses in the order I receive them.
In the interest of transparency, I want to acknowledge that I am a member of Tipperary Welcomes, a network of community groups and civil organisations working to promote integration and fight for the needs of everyone who calls Tipperary home, whose members include Tipp Sinn Féin, Tipp People Before Profit and Tipp Greens, as well as the Clonmel-based Workers and Unemployed Action. Additionally, I am a member of a community group with similar values called Clonmel Together alongside WUA candidate Séamus Healy. The uniformity of the questions beyond the tailored ones is intended in part to mitigate against my own bias in that regard, but I hope you’ll agree the tailored questions aren’t softballs either. I will be repeating these disclosures at the start of all relevant interviews.
I also want to be upfront about the fact I did not extend three of the candidates an opportunity to participate. I believe strongly in giving everyone a fair shake, but at the end of the day, this is my blog, and I have to live with what I publish on it. That being said, I could not in good conscience offer space on my blog to John McGrath, the National Party candidate in Tipp South, Peter Madden, the independent National Alliance candidate in Tipp North, or Justin Phelan, an independent candidate in Tipp North. I consider the National Party – and I don’t use this term lightly – a Hitlerite party established in open imitation of the Nazis, and anyone who would run for it is beneath contempt. As for Madden and Phelan, they have been personally involved in the harrassment, intimidation and abuse of friends and comrades of mine in Roscrea, and I couldn’t look them in the eye if I gave either a platform.
All other candidates have been asked to take part.
TIPP NORTH
TIPP SOUTH
Left in the Lurch 
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