MATTHEW O'Callaghan president of Cork RTC students' union, last week formally launched his election campaign as the youngest candidate in Cork South Central.

The campaign to upgrade the RTC to Institute of Technology status will form the main plank of O'Callaghan's campaign, but he will use it as an example of an alleged larger failure by the Government to give Cork serious consideration and equal treatment.

O'Callaghan will also use his campaign to raise issues of drug awareness, educational disadvantage and health in the Cork city area.

"My campaign consists of young people, students, parents, disaffected political activists and many other people who feel alienated from mainstream politics," says O'Callaghan of a campaign team which sounds a little like the template for the 1917 Russian Revolution.