Darragh's Soapbox: What does the new government need to address in Waterford? 

With elections likely to take place in late November, local candidates will once again be gauging the mood and opinions of the Waterford public on a number of issues.

The Waterford News & Star asked locals this week what changes or issues they want addressed in Waterford when the new government is formed.

Unsurprisingly, a resolution to Waterford Airport was mentioned a number of times by various locals who are keen to see the long-awaited project up and running.

Local barber, Larry Hogan said,” I would propose the airport goes ahead and I think that should have gone through long ago.” 

Similar to several other locals, Larry was also keen to see the city centre reopen to traffic.

He said: “I’d love to see traffic going through the city centre again. I think traffic should be able to go from the Clock Tower to the Car Stand, and I think it should never have been stopped in the first place. 

"There should be a one-way system going through, so that people can see what’s in the city centre, and then they might stop and stay.” 

Brian Cooke and Ned Doyle also suggested improvements to the city centre, saying that the new government should work on ensuring Waterford has adequate retail offerings.

The two locals pointed out vacant units in John Roberts Square, saying: “Look at those buildings, they’re vacant and there’s nothing there. The city centre needs to be revitalized and revamped. If you took Penneys away there would be no one around the city."

Another local, Paul Stacey, suggested that more CCTV be installed around the city to cut down on speeding. 

“I’d like more CCTV cameras in areas like Ballytruckle to stop people from speeding and parking on footpaths, blocking people with wheelchairs. There's a lot of people coming up and down there and they should be more careful with their speed because it is dangerous."