Johnny Gogan
Created by info on 16 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: Campaign
Johnny Gogan was previously a candidate in the local elections for Dromahair Ward in 2004 and in 2009.
Founding editor of Film Ireland magazine, he has produced and directed over ten films for cinema and tv. He was recently appointed as a director of the Irish Film Board.
Local Democracy and Planning
Since 2004 Johnny has been involved in a range of innovative activities in Leitrim, including one of the most ground-breaking local actions in response to the the County’s planning strategy . “In response to Council officials’ Framework Plan in 2006 for the future of Dromahair, I proposed to a group of community activists that we hold a local plebiscite on the plans. There was a massive response. The findings from the resulting vote and survey forced the Council to sit up and listen to the Community. The plan was re-written by the Council along the lines of the survey findings”. As we seek solutions to the crisis of unfinished estates the Council are going to have to work much more closely with communities. The Dromahair experience provides a good model.
Farming and Renewable Energy
“It is encouraging that the Irish Farmers Association have embraced the potential of on-farm production of renewable energy. With many men especially returning to farming after the construction downturn, I believe the future for production of biomass, wind-energy and waste-based biogas can provide sustainable employment in agriculture in the years to come. We need to look at options for leasing of land for this purpose to those without land but who have a desire to enter this industry.
Cultural and Tourism Development
Responding to the lack of a local festival in Dromahair, Gogan set up Adaptation Film Festival which takes place every October. Leitrim’s first film festival, Adaptation has brought major writers like Edna O’Brien and Roddy Doyle to Leitrim. “I am delighted that this works both as a local event, but that it has attracted a lot of national media attention with the kind of tourism spin-off that Leitrim could do with”. As Irish families decide to holiday at home, Leitrim is well placed to benefit from a tourism boost in areas such as hill-walking and cultural tourism.
Enterprise and New Technologies
Johnny Gogan runs his own film production company from Killenummery County Leitrim. He is a great believer in the potential for new technology based enterprises to thrive in a rural environment as the broad-band service improves. “The range of talent to be found in Leitrim in these years represents an untapped potential for future economic development”.
Education and Training.
A recent education survey highlighted the level of truancy at secondary schools in the County. These figures predate any education cut-backs and point to a worrying development in an era where education lies at the heart personal development and economic advancement. “I would aim to kick-start a debate between educators, parents and employers as a means to finding a solution to the problem. This is a complex question and not simply one of resources.
Johnny Gogan believes that a spirit of innovation is born out of a need for survival and advancement. The problem, he feels, is that “our sense of need has been undermined by the boom years. Many of the solutions to a healthy and secure future lie around us or within us. It is the role of people in public life, such as politicians, to create the right environment for this advancement to take place”.
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