Malcolm Noonan - Green Party (original) (raw)
My vision for Carlow – Kilkenny
I would like to see thriving rural and urban sustainable and inclusive communities across Carlow and Kilkenny, collaborating towards common goals of interdependence.
What I stand for
I stand for integrity and honesty in politics. I stand by the principles of social justice, equality and support for ecological and inclusive communities where the challenges and opportunities we face are shared collectively and collaboratively.
My Priorities
These are my main priorities as a Green political and community activist:
- An integrated rural and urban network of inclusive public transport and an ambitious plan for a modal shift towards walking and cycling in urban centres.
- Kilkenny as a Centre of Creative Design and Making with a Third Level Commercial Creative Arts College.
- Good quality training and employment opportunities for young people within the South-East region.
- Heritage led regeneration of our towns and villages that also address our housing needs through sustainable urban living.
My Experience
I am Green Party Spokesperson for Local Government, Regional Development, and Rural Affairs and have been a Green Party City and County Councillor in Kilkenny since 2004, serving as Mayor of Kilkenny in 2009. Before entering politics I spent twenty years as a community and environmental activist with Friends of the Earth. My academic background is in rural development and I campaign on issues ranging from natural and built heritage, transport, young people’s issues, integration and social inclusion to participation in the arts. I contested the Leadership of the Green Party in 2011, the Carlow-Kilkenny Bye-Election in 2015 and the General Election in 2016. I have contributed to European urban built heritage policy and have a particular interest in the conservation and economic development of Irish towns and villages.