AS THE DÁIL summer recess continues, we have been working through the list of newly elected TDs to learn more about how they are adjusting to life in Leinster House. 

Yesterday, we heard from Fianna Fáil’s Martin Daly, today we catch up with Sinn Féin’s TD for Galway East, Louis O’Hara.

Like a number of other first-time TDs in this Dáil, O’Hara had two election wins under his belt in 2024.

The 27-year-old had his first electoral success in last year’s local elections and six months later won a seat in Dáil Éireann, with 14% of the first preference votes in the constituency.

Before this, O’Hara unsuccessfully contested the 2019 local elections and the 2020 general election.

After finishing up in university, he cut his teeth working as a constituency manager for Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus.

He speaks to The Journal about getting to grips with the new role and how he still isn’t sure what approach he would like to see his party take in the upcoming presidential election.

Is life as a TD what you expected?

“It’s a very busy role, which was something that I had anticipated. It can be challenging at times to balance the work you are doing in the Dáil and the work in the constituency. 

“So I suppose going into it, you don’t really know what to expect in terms of how all of that is going to play out. I’ve been involved in politics for a few years, so I had some idea of what the demands of the role would be,” O’Hara said. 

Although he joined Sinn Féin at the age of 17, O’Hara said taking part in electoral politics wasn’t something that was on his mind at the time, or even later when he was a university student in Galway. 

“I was asked to run in the local elections in 2019 and agreed to do it and it all went from there. It wasn’t something that I had chosen or anything like that, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it and felt I had something to offer to people, and it’s kind of gone from there.”

Peak and pit

What’s been the highlight of the job so far? 

“Every time you get a good outcome for someone. That’s probably one of the best parts of the job, that you are in a position to affect change for people on a bigger level, which is very important, obviously, but also on an individual level as well.

“So every time you get a positive outcome, whether it’s an individual constituent case, or getting a piece of local infrastructure progressed, or whatever it may be. That’s always the highlight for me.”

What’s been the lowlight? 

“That we haven’t had any meaningful change in the State,” O’Hara said.

“We’ve the same government back in again, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We have a worsening housing crisis and a cost of living crisis now that the government don’t seem to be either aware of or willing to do anything about.

“So it’s quite disappointing, to say the least, that things don’t seem to be changing and that things are actually getting worse, and people are finding it more and more challenging in their day-to-day lives.”

He added: “With the Budget approaching now, you hear the soundings from government about how they don’t want to introduce a cost of living package or anything like that.

“It’s difficult to be optimistic about how things are going to play out for people who are struggling to get by at the moment, and people who are struggling with the housing crisis.”

Any surprises?

“Sometimes when we bring issues forward or have debates in the [Dáil] chamber,  the relevant minister will be sitting across from you and you bring forward issues to them, and I’ve been a bit surprised with how little they actually engage with the issues or the points that we make.

“The minister just reads off a prepared script, and doesn’t engage at all with the often very valid points that are suggestions and solutions that are made by TDs.

“I think that the Dáil could be a lot more constructive in many ways, from that point of view.”

Young people and politics

O’Hara is one of a handful of TDs in the Dáil under the age of 30.

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“I’m a renter at the moment. I’m renting a room in a house.

“I’ve been renting on and off for a few years, and I’ve spent time living in the family home as well. So I’ve seen it from a few different angles.

“It’s very difficult for renters when you’re paying money every week that sort of disappears into a black hole. It’s very difficult to save after that, and have any prospect of home ownership, even for renters who are on good incomes. So I definitely feel like I can relate to people in that position,” O’Hara said.

“I hope that my involvement in politics is a positive thing for young people and makes politics more engaging for young people, because it’s something that we desperately need.”

What route does he think Sinn Féin should take in the Presidential election?

Sinn Féin is currently in the process of deciding whether to join with Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and the Green Party and back Independent TD Catherine Connolly for president or go their own way and run their own candidate. 

O’Hara said he isn’t sure yet which approach he personally favours. 

“To be perfectly honest, I’m quite torn on it. I can see the merits of both sides of the argument. Look it, this is being carefully considered at the moment, and we’ll have a decision in due course.”

Would he like the candidate to be party leader Mary Lou McDonald? 

“I think Mary Lou McDonald would be an absolutely fantastic president. There would be no better person to be the representative of the Irish people.

“At the same time, I also think that she’s an absolutely fantastic leader of the party in the Dáil, so I suppose that’s one thing that has to be weighed up. But certainly, if she ran for president, I think she would do a fantastic job in the campaign, but more importantly, in the role.”