Mr. John Dolan:

The easiest place for people to get stuck into politics is at local authority level. People can learn their trade there, and it is easier in one's local community to be able to pull support from various relationships that one has. That is not to say one should do that but it is important to encourage people. There will be elections in 31 local authority areas next year. In each local authority there are district electoral divisions. Candidates do not have to get votes all over the county or the municipality, only within a few square miles of where they live. That is a better place to be fishing to try to encourage greater participation in politics.