Michael Gallagher (Sinn Fein)

Sinn Fein's Michael Gallagher lives in Drumconrath with wife Sheila and children, Emma and Mícheál. He has been prominent in fighting against EirGrid's proposed overhead pylons and active in the ongoing campaign to save Navan Hospital. He is involved in working for affordable housing and social housing programmes in the north Meath area, combating social exclusion, addressing rural issues, tackling the continuing drugs problems in Meath and addressing youth unemployment. He is a lifelong Irish Republican and has been a member of Sinn Féin all his adult life. He is chairperson of Drumconrath Gaelic Football Club and has a great interest in traditional music and is a member of the O'Carolan branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann. Elected to Meath County Council in 2002, he has been the party spokesperson in Meath for agriculture, rural affairs, social inclusion and the anti-pylon campaign. He also was involved in developing Sinn Féin's six-year budget plan which proposed a salary cap for ministers, TDs and chief civil servants and charging fully for private beds in public hospitals. Priorities include job creation investment, resisting cuts to the minimum wage and campaigning for retention and improvement of services at Navan and Drogheda Hospitals.