Healy-Rae was elected to the Dáil in the 2011 and 2016 general elections. He was the chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs in the most recent Dáil. He was first elected as a councillor on Kerry County Council in 1999. He has written two books of stories about rural Ireland. He is the brother of fellow TD Danny Healy-Rae and the son of former TD Jackie Healy-Rae.

I am humbly going before the people of Kerry to ask them to please re-elect me to Dáil Éireann as I believe now more than ever before, a strong Independent voice is needed as I believe there is legislation coming forward which will be very hurtful particularly to rural people, and in particular to the county of Kerry.

I understand that we need a proper health service and GP service in our county, and the people need to have confidence in health care and the waiting lists are disgraceful and the current government are doing nothing about it

We need to address the housing crisis in our county by incentivising people to do up old houses and release them into housing stock.