MAIRIA CAHILL HAS been described as a qualified candidate following the announcement that she will contest the Seanad by-election for the Labour Party.

The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Alan Kelly, seconded her nomination following Joan Burton’s proposal.

Kelly said, “Mairia displayed immense courage and perseverance over the last year. First she had the bravery to waive anonymity and tell her story in public of abuse by a leading member of the IRA and how she had justice denied.”

Cahill was nominated following the resignation of Donegal Labour Senator Jimmy Harte, who has suffered serious health issues.

Speaking on Newstalk this morning, Cahill said it was a difficult decision to make:

I spent a lot of time considering it because of the practical considerations…I’m a single mother, I live in the North, and I also wanted to make sure it was the right decision for Labour.

In an article published in The Sunday Independent this morning, Cahill described her decision to run, saying:

For me, it’s another message to my abuser, and the IRA – and those who have attacked me daily on social media since then, that you may have tried to break me, but I am not broken.

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Cahill’s announcement has received a mixed reaction:

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The nomination is expected to be formally ratified early next week.

Read: Mairia Cahill has joined Labour and is set to run for the Seanad>