COUNCILLOR CLAIRE BYRNE has joined the line-up of candidates in the upcoming Dublin Bay South by-election.
Byrne has been selected over Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu to contest the by-election at by party members in the constituency this evening.
In a statement, Byrne said she would put a “strong focus on climate, communities and equality” if elected.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to set our country on a greener path that will benefit our communities, families and children and to achieve many of the goals we’ve been working towards for the past 40 years,” Byrne said.
“We’ve already seen what the Green Party in Government can achieve I look forward to having the opportunity to work with our colleagues to accomplish not only the Green commitments in the Programme for Government, but the principles that our Party was founded on,” she said.
“These principles are the very reason I am involved in politics: planning for the long-term, protecting our island’s natural beauty, and safeguarding our planet for future generations.”
One of the constituency’s seats is currently held by party leader Eamon Ryan.
In last year’s general election, Ryan was elected on the first county with 22.4% of votes.
Other candidates confirmed to be running are Senator Lynn Boylan for Sinn Féin, Cllr. James Geoghegan for Fine Gael, Cllr. Deirdre Conroy for Fianna Fáil, and Senator Ivana Bacik for Labour, Brigid Purcell for People Before Profit and Sarah Durcan for the Social Democrats.
Peter Dooley and Cllr. Mannix Flynn are running as Independent candidates.
Ryan congratulated Byrne and said the party has a ” real opportunity to reinvent and rebuild Dublin after Covid as a greener more liveable city, that prioritises housing, high quality transport, access to public spaces and a vibrant and diverse cultural life”.
“Claire has a track record on Dublin City council, and the experience and determination to succeed. I’m looking forward to an energetic campaign where we can engage with the public on our vision for our capital as a great place to live,” Ryan said.
Byrne has sat on Dublin City Council as a Green Party Councillor for the South East Inner City since 2014.
She ran for the party’s nomination against Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu, with both politicians confirming in May that they would seek the nomination.
Chu offered congratulations to Byrne in a tweet this evening.
“Congratulations to my colleague @CByrneGreen for being selected to run in the upcoming Dublin Bay South By Election for @greenparty_ie . Best of luck Claire in your campaign,” Chu wrote.
“Thanks to all the members who voted for me in this convention & there will most certainly be a next time.”
Meanwhile, Senator Lynn Boylan was officially selected to run for Sinn Féin after becoming the de-facto candidate earlier this week.
Boylan was the only name put forward for the party when a deadline passed on Wednesday and has been formally selected by members in the constituency this evening.
In a statement, she said that it was a “great honour to be selected to contest the upcoming by-election for Sinn Féin”.
“Nowhere is the crisis in housing more evident than in Dublin Bay South. “Workers and families are saddled with out of control rents and a whole generation are locked out of home ownership. That must change,” the senator said.
“We need a new approach to tackling the crisis created by ten years of Fine Gael in government,” she said.
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