Profile: All 18 Sligo-Leitrim candidates running in today's general election

Aontú’s selection for the general election is professional singer and entertainer, Graham Monaghan. 

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The 53-year-old, who was born in Lifford, was previously a Fianna Fáil supporter, canvasser and campaigner all his life until disillusionment with the group’s politics led him to leave, and join Aontú. 

If elected, Mr Monaghan, and his party’s policies include addressing the housing crisis, the overcrowding and waiting lists in hospitals nationwide, reducing the cost of living, and changing immigration laws by prioritising the creation of a new Irish border agency that will enforce the law, and ensure that deportation orders are enforced by the Gardaí.

Other topics the father of two is passionate about, and hopes to bring to the Dáil is structural funding for the region, complete support and funding for public transport infrastructure and the full re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor from Galway to Sligo, with the ambition of completing the rail link up through Donegal and on to Derry, as well as current rail lines getting upgraded. 

The Aontú Party stands firm that food producers are being squeezed constantly by more regulation both from the government and Brussels, and they ooppose the EU Nature Restoration deal which would mean an area the size of County Cork being re-wetted and therefore unavailable for farming.

Mr Monaghan said, “I am very proud and deeply honoured to have the opportunity to represent.”