Perry served as a Fine Gael TD from 1997 to 2016. He is a former Minister of State for Small Business. He is from Ballymote and is now running as an Independent after not being selected as a Fine Gael candidate in the election.

I will be the strongest candidate in the area - I believe that the next government will be dependent on Independents. From my extensive experience, I know exactly how the system works. I have seen first-hand the decimation of rural towns and villages.

The survival of small communities. The east-west divide is getting wider - we need jobs in communities and we need to implement the minimum living wage in these communities to encourage people to return to the places they grew up.

I will be working in the interest of my constituents.