Offaly councillor announces decision on standing in local elections

INDEPENDENT Councillor Sandy Feehan Smollen has announced that she will allow her name to go forward in the forthcoming local elections in June.

Cllr Smollen made the decision after she met with friends and family over the weekend.

''I had my mind made up for me, everyone here was very positive and very proactive about the whole idea. They were all of the same opinion, I was the only one on the fence, everyone else was very determined and very positive about it.

''It will be a huge change for me to the extent that I haven't put my face on the poster before. But I will be going forward and give people the chance to decide for themselves,'' she said.

Councillor Smollen was co opted onto Offaly County Council last September, after her husband Ken Smollen became seriously ill and stepped down.

She said she will focus on the regeneration of the local electoral area including Tullamore and Clara. ''It's so important we move forward. We need a strong municipal district there is so much work to do. We have to try to regenerate Tullamore. The town has always been an important part of my life for shopping. We need to make Tullamore and Clara strong again. I hope and pray that whoever gets elected is strong enough to do what needs to be done.''

''I think the most important point is I'm an Independent, I'm not tied to anyone, no one can tell me what to do and what not to do. I will be referring to what people have told me on the ground, I think that's important in this day and age.

''I've only been in place since the 18^th of September, people know the work Ken was doing and I will be continuing with that work. We share the same ideas and our main focus is on people and what the people want. I don't make promises I can't keep, but if someone calls about a house, I will work as hard as I can.''

The Clara based councillor has always been heavily involved in the community of Clara including The Tidy Towns Committee, Community Games and The Clara Town Team which is concentrated on the regeneration of Clara. ''I'm very involved with that. I think it will be huge for Clara, in the coming years. It's so important to make our voices heard, there is no point in complaining after the event. People really need to say what they feel.''

Cllr Smollen said she hopes that the people of Tullamore attended the unveiling of the drawings for the new greenway in the town. ''It's their community and their area that will be affected. I love to see people coming forward and asking questions.

''Everyone says, you have been doing work in the community for years and this is one step forward. I was always doing work in the background with Ken.''

''It's so important that people make their voices heard. It's a huge part of what I have been doing for years, to try to get people involved in the community and make their voices heard,'' said Cllr Smollen.