Panamanian woman runs for 2024 local elections aiming to amplify diversity and inclusion

Recently nominated by the Social Democrats to contest the 2024 local elections in the Carrick on Shannon local electoral area, Ms Lola Gonzalez Farrell is committed to bringing to the town more new and innovative ideas aiming to build a strong community that all can feel proud to be part of.

Born in Panama, Lola Gonzalez Farrell has been living in the Leitrim area for almost a decade, closely involved with the local community working for six years as manager of the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) shop, with Momentum in Leitrim Village for the past year, and volunteering with many organisations in Leitrim area.

"I am very open to the community. I have my feed on the ground in what is going on in the local County, what the main issues are by hearing members from the local area, especially when I worked in town for the National Council of the Blind shop,” says the Social Democrats candidate.

On a voluntary basis, the Social Democrats candidate worked with the Leitrim Local Community Development Committee, overseeing, reviewing, advising, implementing and ensuring the effectiveness of local community development actions.

"With this experience, I could learn more about the economic side of the County, helping the area to grow, especially through the leading funding,” she explains. This committee is crucial in ensuring the community is considered in plans and policies.

Ms Gonzalez Farrell also has been involved with the Leitrim Peace Plus Programme, an European  Union funding programme designed to support peace and prosperity through actions that will contribute positively to the economy between Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.

MORE DIVERSE VOICES

Ms Gonzalez Farrell started as a volunteer at Leitrim International Community Group, focusing on raising awareness and reducing racism from the different cultures that migrated to the area. Over time, she became involved with the Leitrim Migrant and Refugee Leaders Network.

"As I have been a migrant for most of my life, I feel a personal connection with the international community living in the County. After being a social activist for over seven and a half years, it is time to make my voice heard by bringing new ideas to promote more inclusion, integration and belonging,” she says.

Lola pictured at Street Feast Carrick on Shannon 2019 with Leitrim International Community Group members and Garda

According to the Department of Integration and Equality, 994 Ukraine refugees and 161 International Protection Applicants are in State-funded accommodation in Leitrim. The County is recording the highest number of hotel rooms allocated to asylum seekers and refugees locally. It is estimated that 82% of hotels in the area have been used to accommodate migrants.

Ms Gonzalez Farrell says there are many issues related to the migrant's integration into the local community, such as housing, language and transportation. "It is needed to have better connectivity and a more diverse timetable. Most migrants cannot afford a car, and depending on the public transport can affect them or go to English class or get a job somewhere else which is not in the town,” she explains.

She is also involved with the Leitrim Integration Strategy Working Group - one of the five community projects that received funding under the Communities Integration Fund 2023, which will be launched by the end of the year. "With this project, we will work directly with refugees and focus on their integration into the local community," explains Ms Gonzalez Farrell.

Ms Gonzalez Farrell pictured with her with Campaign Manager, Brian Lynch.

'BIGGEST ISSUE'

Compared to urban public transport, public transportation in rural areas continues to present challenges for the local community across the country. With the lack of access to service frequency and wider travel zones, rural households are more reliant on their car to access essential services contributing to an increase in the carbon footprint, as transportation is one of the three main contributing factors, according to the National Travel Survey 2019 from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

"As I use public transport a lot, I feel that is our biggest issue. It is necessary to provide an efficient and easy way for more people to access the service,” explains Ms Gonzalez Farrell.

"Also, we need to make sure that the transportation is sustainable and investing in public transport is a smart way to reduce further impacts of carbon emission in the environment,” she said.

Cycling is an excellent initiative supporting environmentally sustainable commuting in towns, villages and surrounding areas. "Cycling is becoming big in our County, and we do not have a big structure that can support that,” she added.

However, to make cycling a reality in rural areas, building a complex infrastructure for cycle lanes and implementing best practices to guarantee that the routes are safe and comfortable for all ages and  abilities is necessary.

BROADBAND

Ms Gonzalez Farrell will also be championing better broadband coverage in the Carrick on Shannon area. According to the Rural Wifi - Internet for Rural Areas, over 51% of houses and businesses in County Leitrim do not have access to quality broadband coverage.

The Social Democrats candidate believes that broadband needs to be free for all to become more accessible and further increase levels of remote working and enable e-learning, e-health initiatives and better energy  efficiency in the local homes.

With the National Broadband Plan, it is estimated that the County Leitrim will receive an investment of €46M in the new high-speed fibre network. "With better broadband, we would be able to have better communication, so we engage with each other more effectively," she said.

Lola Gonzalez Farrell, director of the board for Leitrim Volunteer Centre, pictured at the opening of the Ukrainian Art Exhibit by Leitrim Volunteer Centre at The Dock last month.

HOUSING

According to the CSO, Leitrim has one of the highest vacancy rates (12.2pc) on housing in the country. However, figures presented by the Leitrim County Council show that people experiencing homelessness are the tip of the iceberg regarding housing problems.

In 2023, eleven households registered as homeless to Leitrim County Council, with six individuals and one family in emergency accommodation. "As much as we do not have a big influence on housing, we still need to ensure that it is good quality and also to have adequate emergency accommodation available for those who need it," says Ms Gonzales Farrell.