Three imminent elections to signal growing mood for Mayo and national change

If you are not a patient person, running for office in next June's local or European Parliament elections is not for you.

Recent evidence shows that the wheels of democracy rotate at a painfully slow pace when it comes to getting projects delivered in the aftermath of their announcement.

The level of progress, for example, in respect of the much-heralded investment in the historic urban core of Castlebar, which includes works on the former Imperial Hotel, the military barracks, the old post office, the Mall, Rock Square and Ellison Street backwards, has been exceptionally slow.

So much so, in fact, that it has locals wondering why it was announced at all in the first place back in 2020.

Other county town projects which have been left on the long finger include the extension to the emergency department at Mayo University Hospital, provision of an athletics track and playing pitches at Knockaphunta, the climbing wall at Lough Lannagh Leisure Centre, the skate park and the planned extension to the Lough Lannagh greenway.

More worrying, however, is the clear absence of an affordable housing strategy for young people unable to qualify for a mortgage, denying them the same options as previous generations.

This, of course, is a nationwide problem, as is the decline of town centres due to dereliction and the closure of businesses due to ability to pay commercial rates and other out-of-control costs.

As we approach local and European Parliament elections in June and possibly a general election in October, the level of public faith in our local, national and European legislative systems is not what it should be.

And this situation has created a void in which people are yearning for something else, something different, a system of government that will deliver a swifter and more efficient level of service devoid of layers and layers of bureaucracy.

The prospect of such change being achieved in the short term is remote - but an expectation still exists that it should happen and that people power will eventually make it happen, be it in the local, European or general elections.

It remains to be seen how this trend will be reflected in the upcoming ballots, particularly in the event of the younger generation (at least those who have not emigrated) turning out in force to vote.

Then the degree of change could be greater than mainstream politics is anticipating.

Whether that's for the better or worse remains to be seen.