Legwork pays local dividend for Independent John Halligan

All politics is local, Tip O’Neill once said. John Halligan knows it.

Anyone who wants to be elected, from the Speaker of the US House of Representatives to the member of the parish council, knows it.

It’s a piece of advice that should be ignored by any prospective politician at their peril.

Driving through Waterford city, the Independent TD hears tell of a campaigner, not from the area, who tells voters with a local problem that he can’t do anything for them as he’s a “national politician”.

Halligan is amazed. “If I said that to people they’d tell me where to go,” he says.

“We’ve had over 6,000 cases through our office,” he adds, referring to the amount of issues which have been raised with himself or his assistants since he was elected to the Dáil in 2011.

As if to illustrate the point, Angela Keating on Mount Sion Avenue in Waterford, an old residential area close to Barrack St, greets him not long after he gets out of the car.

“Well John, remember you got my knee done? Otherwise I’d be waiting another 12 months, or 12 years.”

The outgoing TD is delighted: “Don’t forget me next week.”

Mrs Keating, walking with the aid of a stick, reassures him: “How could I?”

Another woman in a nearby house tells Halligan about how she paid €200 for an MRI scan and is still waiting to see a consultant, having been told she could be 18 months in the queue.

“We’ll ring you this evening,” says the politician, asking the woman to have her details ready for when his constituency secretary would call. “We’ll go through everything.”

Walking along a nearby street in this warren-like area of the city, he meets Breda Barry at one door.

“I hope I haven’t let you down since the last time,” he says.

“You haven’t,” is the response. “I even enjoy listening to you on the radio as well.”

At another door, Gerry Lee says he used play soccer with one of John Halligan’s brothers.

Halligan: “Which of them?”

Mr Lee replies: “I can’t remember. I remember your father playing as well. I go to the election count every time there’s an election because it’s the best comedy show.”

His wife, Breda Lee, says she told her dog to vote Halligan.

“We’re unique in Europe, the Irish parliament is the only parliament where we have Independents,” the TD says to Mrs Lee.

Back in 2011, Halligan won the fourth Dáil place in the Waterford four-seater on the back of a hard-working spell on the city council.

This time, he’s being tipped to win the second or third seat but is having none of such talk.

“It’s very hard to call,” is his public utterance on the matter, ruminating on the election while driving from the home of a constituent, Nick Prendergast, in Cherrymount, who’s been having problems with anti-social behaviour associated with a nearby walkway.

“I’ll get on to them about installing cameras there,” he says of that issue.

On the Government front, he predicts that any party hoping to go into power will need Independents.

Would he speak to any such would-be taoiseach?

“I would. I have to be quite frank,” he says. “I’m essentially elected to be in Government, to be in power, although every democracy needs a good opposition… I’d talk to anyone.”

Independents will “certainly be coming back with more seats”, says the member of the Shane Ross-led Independent Alliance.

“I think people have had enough [of the major parties]. I think they’ve learned a salutary lesson, don’t believe what they’ll tell you. It’s all election gimmicks.”