ELECTION 2020: Two new candidates for Carlow-Kilkenny added to ballot paper

Two new names have beaten the deadline and have had their names added to the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency ballot paper as the competition for next month’s General Election heats up.

Alan Hayes and Angela Ray (pictured above) have confirmed they will run as Independent candidates in the constituency, bringing to 14 the number of people putting themselves forward in the hope of gaining a seat in Dáil.

Alan Hayes (below) is a 23-year-old Kilkenny man who is formerly the Student Union President in University College Cork.

Alan is highly involved in the local charity Teac Tom, which is run by his mother Angela. Teac Tom assists people who have lived with suicide and those dealing with mental health issues.

The lack of services for mental health in Carlow-Kilkenny is one of his main issues, alongside the prevalence of suicide, the drug epidemic and access to education.

Angela Ray, a mother from Carlow, is also running on some highly-charged social issues. Angela wants to address the family law system while tackling the homelessness problem affecting Ireland’s citizens.