Election Interview: Killian Mangan, Independent

Killian Mangan is an independent candidate running in the Waterford constituency who is promising a “very different” approach to the other candidates.

A self-described “progressive independent candidate”, the professional video game designer is looking to bring his experiences of direct democracy in Barcelona and Scotland to Waterford.

Mr Mangan is running under three main topics, democratisation, decentralisation, and decarbonisation, which he believes will address the deficit position Waterford finds itself in.

“Time and time again Waterford tries the same approach […] my approach is very different,” he said, identifying Ireland as the second most centralised country in the OECD.

“The reason Waterford has been left so behind is that we live in a really centralised system – where everything has been centralised around the national government [in Dublin].”

“Decentralisation, that’s the solution.” 

He wants to drive more decision-making capacity into the regions themselves, calling for a “focus on a systemic way; that is the key to us having the power to change things ourselves.”

Mangan, who is a communications officer for CATU (Community Action Tenants Union) says he "feels the housing crisis every day" as he is forced to live at home with his parents. 

"We are a generation locked out from society," he said.

He is calling for the introduction of "proper rent controls", saying that they had worked “in most other countries around us.”

Asked who he would join a government with if elected, Mangan ruled out Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, saying, “They have failed our generation so much” and had forced his generation to emigrate.

“I will not even speak to any far-right or fascist candidates,” the independent candidate said, “They corrupt democracy and destroy it.” 

He said his “big hope” is a government coalition from the left, such as Labour, Social Democrats and Greens.

WATCH FULL INTERVIEW HERE