Mark Ovens is a married father of two young children born and raised in the Erne West DEA. He is now closely involved with the family beef and sheep farm at Slavin, and has also long been involved with a number of organisations and voluntary groups right across the south and west Fermanagh area. The first-time candidate was employed as Robin Swann’s Special Adviser during his time Minister of Health.

Why did you get into politics?

I’ve been a member of the UUP for quite a while. After finishing my A-Levels at Portora, I went on to Queen's University to study politics and it was then I got more closely involved with the party.

I’ve always been attracted to the more pragmatic and rational approach of the UUP.

Northern Ireland is home, and we can either make it work or not. Right now, I really think no-one is being well served by the ongoing political stalemate and absence of Ministers at Stormont.

Why should people vote for you?

Running for election is something I had never really considered doing until recently. Then with the collapse of the Executive last year, I started to see the real damage that is being inflicted on public services.

Regardless of any our own political allegiances, especially at the current time with all the cost of living pressures, it’s not normal nor acceptable for us to be drifting without a government or a local decision-making body.

Alex Baird has been the long-standing Unionist Councillor for Erne West for the past 18 years and after he decided to retire he and a quite a few other people locally encouraged me to put my name forward.

I’m running on a theme of people-centred representation, and in particular a desire to see the Council focusing on delivery and avoiding the political impasse on display elsewhere.

As someone living in the DEA, raising a young family and involved in agriculture, I’m very familiar with many of the issues being experienced by the local electorate.

What are the issues you will be fighting for in your DEA?

Erne West is a big area, spanning the entire southern length of the county from Garrison to Teemore.

Apart from the few villages, the area is rural with agriculture and small businesses serving as the backbone of the local economy.

Just because we’re rural and often sparsely populated, it doesn’t mean we deserve anything less than other areas.

Whether it be improved playpark facilities in Florencecourt, lobbying the Department for Infrastructure to resolve the poor state of some of our country roads, or working with both established and potential local employers to offer jobs and opportunities for our young people, there’s lots to be done.

What are the biggest issues facing the Council area?

There are huge challenges facing the area. Like everywhere else, there’s a real squeeze on both household and public finances.

People are rightly looking for greater transparency from the Council on how the money from their rates is being spent and what exactly in return they are getting for it.

Only some of the money stays locally, with well over half of all household rates automatically going to Stormont.

But it’s important that whether it’s Stormont or the Council, every pound of rates is spent to the maximum possible benefit.

Following the latest Budget allocations, there is a real concern about what the impact of the imminent cuts in public funding will be in Fermanagh.

I am really quite fearful about what the forthcoming weeks and months will bring for the delivery of public services here.

What are the issues the electorate have raised with you?

I’m very fortunate that the UUP has a great network of members willing to give up their time right across Erne West.

Working with them, I’ve been trying to get to as many doors as possible.

Concerns regarding the future of services within the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) is probably the issue people are raising most regularly on the doorsteps.

Fortunately, having worked with Robin Swann, it’s an issue I have a lot of interest and background in.

Other issues being regularly raised include real concerns about the future of the rural lift service, ongoing problems with broadband provision, and even the recent spate of missed bin collections.

How can we improve the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area?

Most importantly we must ensure the Council focuses on delivery and avoids the political stalemate that has caused so much damage elsewhere.

I still think there is a lot of local untapped economic- and tourism-related potential.

For every new business we attract, that means more jobs, more money for the local economy, and ultimately more money to fund local services. I just feel we need a super-charged effort to realise that potential.