Comment: Forthcoming elections will test health of local democracy

It's that season again. Over the coming weeks and months, political parties will be organising selection conventions to pick their candidates for next year's local elections.

The public will go to the polls to select their county councillors in May or June of next year, against the backdrop of a general election that will follow relatively soon afterwards.

Both the council and Dáil votes will be particularly instructive as to the current health of politics in the country in this era of 24-7 online connectedness and social media volatility.

Anecdotally, from talking to those involved in politics at grassroots level, the role of a local political representative has gotten a lot tougher and more intrusive than it was in previous eras.

Constituents now have an array of ways in which they can contact their local representatives, from phonecalls and emails to WhatsApp messages and social media posts, and these contacts can be made at any time.

While that level of access to politicians can be beneficial for the public, it also means councillors and other local representatives are expected to be on duty and responsive to the needs and concerns of others almost all of the time.

Another feature that will have been noticed by anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account is the level of abuse and vitriol with which many politicians are targeted whenever they raise their heads above the parapet.

Some will be questioning whether the potential benefits of political involvement - in helping to improve the lot of individuals, communities and the wider region - are worth level of personal upheaval that comes with it.

Skin as thick as leather is now a mandatory requirement for anyone who decides to put their name on a ballot paper. And yet, the people who regularly direct personal abuse at politicians are often the first to complain when public services and infrastructure falls short.

There's no question that despite the State's overflowing income tax receipts, Irish society is grappling with some very serious failures, not least in the areas of healthcare and housing provision.

Politicians at national level must shoulder blame for those crises, which have been brewing for many years, if not decades. But if we are to eventually resolve those issues, and have hope for a better society, we will need smart, practical, honest and effective candidates to put themselves forward for election.

Let's hope that today's turbulent political environment doesn't discourage the best people from going forward for public office.