A Sinn Féin councillor for Dundalk/Carlingford, Watters is a party candidate for Louth at the general election. He previously worked as a loss assessor and sales manager.

As a father of two young children, I want a better future for them in healthcare, education and especially housing when they are older. I want them to have the option of owning their own home in their own community in rural Louth, if they so choose.

Housing and the cost of living are the greatest issues facing people today especially in rural Ireland. It has been neglected and starved of investment, public services and infrastructure.

I would use my first speaking time in the Dáil to address rural housing and the much-needed meaningful reform of the current restrictive planning regulations. I want our children to be able to build on their own land instead of being driven in urban settings away from their own communities.