*Hilary Tonge (SD). Photograph: John Mangan
HILARY TONGE (SD) is the Social Democrats’ first General Election candidate in Clare and she is confident that the party is striking a chord with voters in the county.
A co-founder of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign alongside Noeleen Moran and Marie McMahon, Hilary has listed health as “top of the agenda. It is going on too long, too many people on trolleys, we could open the Ennis injuries clinic 24/7 and the MAU 24/7, at least if we had that much we would relieve the pressure on UHL straight away”.
She has been endorsed by the Mid-West Hospital Campaign as their candidate in Clare to support but has been snubbed by the Friends of Ennis Hospital in their list of persons in the field that voters should give their backing to.
With a rising population in the Mid-West, the case for a model three hospital in Ennis is only getting stronger, Hilary said. “The way it is going to go with the population rising consistently, by the time we get around to building a hospital it will have to be model four, we will have to have a proper ED and an ambulance base so it probably won’t be where the hospital is now”.
When representatives of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign met with ex Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (FG) they were asked if an emergency department was to be reopened in the morning, where should it be, their answer of saying one in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary has been strongly criticised by health activists in Clare. “Eventually North Tipperary will have to have an A&E, that is the same position we’re in, the reason I’m pushing for Clare is I’m going for election in Clare, I feel Clare has a bigger population, will have a bigger population and will need about 300 beds”.
On the length of time the delivery of a new hospital could take, Hilary commented, “For a new hospital if we’re going on anything like the Children’s Hospital in Dublin, I fear for us but under a different Government it will be quicker, we saw the response during COVID, things can be done quicker if necessary and this is necessary”.
According to Hilary, if Ennis was prioritised for a new hospital, Tipperary could get the focus “possibly later. UHL has three counties, take one away and you’ve already relieved an awful lot of people going into the A&E, if we do that then Nenagh can do it. I couldn’t put a timeline on it, I really couldn’t but A&Es are vital in all counties and it is ridiculous that we don’t have one”.
Having contested local elections in Clare in 2019 and 2024, the Social Democrats have yet to elect someone in the county. Despite this, Tonge said she disagreed with the view that the party hasn’t struck a chord in Clare and quipped of the party taking nine years to field a General Election candidate in the county, “maybe they were just waiting for the right one and here we are”.
On the doors, the big issues are split between “health and housing, childcare and disability services, that is all disabilities, they are the ones that are catching people the most. I spoke to a girl, she had two children, she was saying she didn’t know if they were going to get a house, that is how slow it has been, we just haven’t built them, we have a huge amount of work do to catch up but the Soc Dems are willing to do that”.
In June, the party received 2.25 percent of the entire first preference vote in the county. “I think we were possibly a little unknown but I think I’ve helped to change that over the last few months, when I knock on doors now people do know who we are, Holly Cairns has done an amazing job in the Dáil even in the last couple of weeks, she has worked really hard, that has made a difference too”.
Familiarity among the electorate rather than receiving their votes is not often what parties would point to as an achievement. “Clare is a county that has history, the history has been Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, that has to change, we’re doing our very best to change it, I think people are looking for something different. They are looking for a model which puts people first with honesty, transparency, accountability and also they are tired, tired of fighting to get their basic services, we’re going to deliver them immediately”.
A member of the Social Democrats for two years, Hilary had previously been a Sinn Féin member for three years where she worked closely with Noeleen Moran.
On how she can build on her 528 first preferences from June, she said, “With a lot of hard work, that is what we’re doing in Clare, we’re working really hard to get the Social Democrats on the map, it is really important that we get some change, I’m very proud of those votes because it was my first time out with a party that wasn’t as well known down here, I think I did really well”. She is targeting a return of six percent of the first preference vote for the General Election.
Locally, it was expected that she would have polled higher in June and she had a longer run-in campaign for the locals. “All I can do is go out there and do my very best which is what I’ve always done and will continue to do, I think people change their minds, some voters are fickle so there will be mind changing between now and November 29th, it will be last minute decisions for a lot of people”.
Reaching the entire county has been “very tough,” she admitted. “I’m getting phone calls now which is great from people all over the county offering to help me, our membership has gone up so I see change, people are beginning to think about this seriously because if they have another five years of the same old same old if we don’t get change in this county”.
She told The Clare Echo, “I feel there is a lot more that Government parties can do that I can’t do as far as campaigning as postering, to be honest and it’s something I’ve said before and will say again, I don’t think elections should be financially a burden, it stops a lot of people particularly women going forward because we need more women going forward even though we haven’t a bad return this time, we’re talking a lot of money, there is only big parties that can spend that type of money, I think that is unfair and not an even playing field”. She said support from the party has been “actually great. Holly has come down to me twice, she would come down this time but she might be in hospital pretty soon, the party are good”.
“If you compare me to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael then absolutely I’m at a disadvantage but they’ve been doing this for a 100 years so they’ve gathered a few supporters in fairness, I’m at a disadvantage but if you look at the ballot paper and remind everyone they have to start at the bottom of the ballot paper for their number one vote”. Tonge is confident that her party leader will retain her seat in Cork South-West.
Hilary Tonge
Occupation – Development Worker with Women’s Collective Ireland
DOB – 25/05/62
Party – Social Democrats
Priority – All forms of health including opening up a hospital or at least an A&E in Ennis.
