Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has paid tribute to the party’s three candidates in the European Elections.
Deputy Cairns said:
“I could not be prouder of the exceptional campaigns run by Rory Hearne, Susan Doyle and Sinéad Gibney in Midlands-North-West, Ireland South and Dublin respectively.
“This was the first time the party contested all three European constituencies – and was the first opportunity for people in every county in Ireland to vote for a Social Democrats’ candidate.
“All three candidates would have made excellent MEPs as they could have brought considerable experience to Europe in many important areas: Rory for his expertise on housing and social policy; Susan for her work as a solicitor on immigration and disability issues; and Sinéad as the former Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).
“As first-time candidates running for a smaller party, it can be difficult to make a breakthrough in European constituencies, where there are a multitude of candidates – including incumbent MEPs – competing for a limited number of seats.
“However, I am delighted with the solid performances by Rory, Susan and Sinéad and their role in expanding the Social Democrats’ electoral footprint around the country.
“This comes on the back of huge success for the party in the local elections, where we almost doubled the number of councillors elected in 2019, from 19 to 35.
“Our candidate for directly elected Lord Mayor of Limerick, Elisa O’Donovan, also ran an impressive campaign while successfully retaining her council seat in Limerick West.
“I am so grateful for the hard work put in by all our candidates and their campaign teams in the past few months. Throughout the local, Limerick Mayor and European election campaigns, it was clear that the party’s inclusive and positive message is resonating with people.”
June 13, 2024