Noel O'Donovan has been a councillor for Skibbereen since 2024. A former Garda, he previously served as a Cork County Councillor between 2011-2017, and also helps run a family grocery business.

It has been my life long ambition to serve and represent my community at Dail Eireann and to be a real voice for them.

Along with the obvious challenges we face in housing and health, I am deeply concerned about the impact loneliness is having across every age demographic in our communities. I believe it to be one of the greatest issues affecting our peoples wellbeing. Since Covid disrupted our lives so abruptly, loneliness has crept in as the new norm, a silent pandemic. Its consequences for many of our citizens is devastating, up to and including their death. So many people have raised this issue with me while canvassing.

I will raise the need for the Government to immediately develop an action plan to combat the issue of loneliness.