Dean Mullins (Independents 4 Change- Swords LEA)

Name: Dean Mulligan

Age: 26

Preferred pronouns: Did not answer 

Party: Independents4Change

Local Electoral Area: Swords, Fingal County Council.

Is this your first time running? Yes

What are your reasons for running as a young person in politics?

My name is Dean Mulligan, this is my first time running for local election. As a young person engaging in politics to any degree is often seen as out of the norm, many people of my own generation and younger are very much apathetic towards politics and the system we work within, and I do not blame them. I too feel the system is broken, I feel it does not represent the majority of people. For me I have seen in recent years with the previous referenda a massive shift in terms of younger people getting engaged in arguably two of the biggest single issues the state has ever seen, I want to carry this momentum forward. I want to engage younger people in politics because politicians make decisions with consequences for many all daily, so engaging young people is imperative if we are ever going to get likeminded decision makers who aren’t afraid of change and put the needs of the majority above their own.

My core values: The catalyst for me running is to promote, advocate and educate regards the areas mental health and disabilities, the current lack of services, difficulties and stigma around accessing services in these areas. Having lost a friend at 21 to cancer, I have felt first-hand the grip that grief and stress can have on a young person, talking helps but fighting to change the stigma and advocating cannot be done in the background it needs to be done in the public eye.