CANDIDATES: Around 19 candidates born abroad are contesting the local authority elections. Kitty Holland talked to some of them.
"In Nigeria at election time the candidates just come to an area and hold one big rally for maybe 3,000 people. This going from door-to-door is hard work. I am canvassing every night and almost every day too. And Portlaoise is big."
So says Mr Rotimi Adebari, local election candidate for Portlaoise Town Council and Laois County Council.
This is a man used to being busy. As well as teaching , the self-styled "Laois-man" is a director of Portlaoise Community Action Project, an elected member of the national executive of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, a member of Laois County Community Forum, founder of Supporting Unemployed in Laois (SUIL) and a member of Laois County Housing, Social and Cultural Strategic Committee.
The father of three is also completing a master's course in interculturalism at Dublin City University. Having arrived four years ago, he and his wife gained residency here on the birth of their third child.
The hard slog of just getting one's name known among electors is something that surprised Mr Adebari. Asked whether he canvasses outside churches on Sundays he looks shocked. "I didn't think you could do that."
When Mr George Keyes, a local helper, tells him the Irish candidates do it, he says he will "definitely do that on the last Sunday before the election. I hadn't thought of it."
When The Irish Times caught up with him, Mr Adebari was enjoying lunch cooked by his students at Newbridge further education centre. The aroma of Nigerian puff-puff dumplings, stick-meats, and moi-mos beans intermingled with Togolese fried dry fish and koliko stew as staff and pupils enjoyed the food made by African students to celebrate their completing a foundation programme to prepare them for further education in Ireland.
Mr Adebari, beamed as he congratulated students, rushing to chat before gesturing to the door and explaining he must get moving. He has to get back to Portlaoise by 2 p.m. to canvass one of the housing estates in the town. One of at least 19 non-nationals standing in the local elections around the State, Mr Adebari says it was his experiences when he first arrived that led him into politics.
"I have a primary degree in economics from the University of Benin in Nigeria, and I was applying for jobs for sales consultants. I knew I was qualified but I kept hitting brick walls. I was invited for interviews and then everyone said they would prefer a local man."
And so he got involved in jobs initiatives and supporting others. In doing so, he built up a network of contacts that is now paying dividends on the campaign trail.
Wherever he canvasses he has a local accompany him. Today, a glorious afternoon, he's in St Brigids, a local authority estate on the town's outskirts. Mr Keyes, in jeans and a T-shirt, is introducing Mr Adebari.
"Hello there Joe," says Mr Keyes strolling amiably towards an elderly man tending bedding plants. "I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, Rotimi." With that the dapper Mr Adebari, dressed in a black suit, cream shirt and sharp yellow tie, strides forward.
"Good afternoon," he grins. "I am standing for election for the council and I have a number of issues in this leaflet."
Mentioning the "too small post-office" in the town as well as a lack of facilities for young people, he asks hopefully for Joe's number one or two vote.
Joe fingers the leaflet and says he has promised his number one to Labour, but "you can be sure of a vote, Rotimi". Reaction is mainly positive, with one Sinn Féin canvasser also promising his number two vote.
There have been "almost no" racist incidents, says Mr Adebari. In one estate some young boys called him "monkey", he says, adding that there are areas he won't canvass without a local.
Other non-national candidates, speak of a positive, even welcoming, reception on the doorsteps.
Ms Benedicta Attoh, from Nigeria, and standing for Louth County Council and Dundalk Town Council, says reaction has been "wonderful".
However, she has experienced discrimination, and knows of numerous cases where non-nationals were turned away from jobs and accommodation.
"People assume everyone from Africa is a sponger. My husband and I saved very hard to get €20,000 for a deposit to buy our house. Then people, even on our estate, said we had got it free from the Government."
The mother of six has been in Ireland for four years. Her family gained residency when her youngest daughter was born.
Like many of her Irish counterparts, Ms Attoh's concerns are childcare, care of the elderly, homelessness, care for the handicapped and unemployment. She has been approached by some of the mainstream parties to stand, but says she is happy to be an Independent "for now". "I don't want to change my views to suit a party," she said.
The Green Party is running 11 foreign-born candidates - threefrom the US, with another six from the UK. Mr Parvez Butt who is running for the party in Longford is from Tanzania, while Mr David Healy in Fingal is from the Cayman Islands. The Labour Party is fielding two foreign candidates - Mr José Ospina, from Colombia is running in Skibbereen, Co Cork, and Mr Stanley Airewele, from Nigeria, is running in Scarriff, Co Clare.
Along with Mr Adebara and Ms Attoh there are four other Independent candidates from Nigeria running in the local elections. Mr Tonna Okei is running for Newbridge Town Council, Ms Tokie Laotan and Pastor Paul Osikoya are standing in Galway, while Dr Taiwo Matthew is running in Ennis.
Dr Matthew has been approached by a number of mainstream parties but is dismissive of them. "None of the parties have real policies to attract immigrants. I have lived in this town for five years and they don't reach out. It's just about beginning to happen now but I think it's an election gimmick.
"Politics and society will definitely be richer with the immigrant voice," he adds.
Back in Portlaoise some hours into his canvass, Mr Adebari echoes him. He does not want to put himself forward as a "black candidate".
"I don't want to change the culture of the Irish. I want to be part of it and show we can get benefits from each other. In a way," he nods, "that is what the lunch earlier today was about - feeding each other with new ideas; sharing methods and ways of achieving the same goals."
Despite that large lunch however, several hours on the stump have him turning to Mr Keyes and pleading.
"Can we go and get some sandwiches and sit down somewhere? All this walking! I have never had to do so much."