Maria McCormack, the Sinn Féin candidate in the recent General Election in the Laois constituency, is to run for the Seanad as one of the party’s six candidates announced today.
McCormack was selected by Sinn Féin to replace Brian Stanley as the party’s candidate in November’s General Election where she got 4,914 first preference votes.
Previously she had been a Local Election candidate in the Portlaoise area in June but didn’t challenge for a seat.
Her General Election vote equated to a highly respectable 12.8% but Stanley, now as an ‘Independent Republican’, was more than 1,800 votes ahead and ultimately retained his seat with a degree of comfort.
But McCormack’s strong showing and Sinn Féin’s obvious desire to re-establish a presence in Laois following the resignation of their former TD Brian Stanley – as well as local councillors Caroline Dwane-Stanley and Aidan Mullins – meant that she was always likely to be one of the party’s chosen Seanad candidates.
The Seanad elections are by postal vote and the electorate for the vocational panels is the elected TDs, Senators and Councillors around the country. Polling closes on January 30.
McCormack, who lives in Portlaoise but grew up in Ballyroan, is going for the Labour panel and is one of two Sinn Féin candidates in that particular race competing for the 11 seats.
Also going for the Labour panel from Sinn Féin is former Dublin Bay South TD Chris Andrews.
“It’s a great honour and privilege to contest the Seanad election,” Maria said in a statement today.
“The overwhelming support I received in the general election reflects the desire for change and the need for stronger representation for the people of Laois.
“I am committed to being that voice, advocating for the most vulnerable in our community, and delivering on Sinn Féin’s vision for real change.”
“Mental health is an area that requires urgent action,” Maria emphasized.
“We need to ensure people in Laois have access to timely, high-quality mental health services. I will work tirelessly to address these issues in Seanad Éireann.”
If elected, she says the plan will be to open an office in Portlaoise.
“I hope to open an office in Portlaoise that will serve as a hub for myself and Sinn Féin’s local area representatives.
“This will ensure we remain accessible to the people of Laois and continue working together to address their needs.
“This campaign is about building a better future for all—ensuring carers and people with disabilities are prioritized, fixing our broken healthcare system, and making Laois a place where everyone can thrive.”
“Today we nominated six candidates to contest the elections to Seanad Éireann,” added Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.
” This is a strong national team who if elected will join 39 TDs in the Dáil as a significant, very potent force in Irish political life.
“They are standing to represent the hopes and ambitions of the hundreds of thousands who voted for Sinn Féin and other parties because they believe politics must change.
“People who want to see the housing crisis sorted, an end to the trolley crisis, support for families under pressure with the cost of living, hope and opportunity for our young people who are leaving our shores for a better future.”
Sinn Féin’s other runners, announced by the party today are Pauline Tully, who lost her seat as a TD in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, Joanne Collins, a councillor from Limerick, Conor Murphy, an MLA and the current Minister for the Economy in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Nicole Ryan, who ran in the General Election in Cork North West.
Other Sinn Féin candidates may get ‘outside’ nominations from approved nominating bodies but McCormack and the others announced today are Sinn Féin’s inside nominations that came through the party’s selection process.
In all there are 60 senators, elected through a very complex system.
Across the five vocational panels, there are 43 elected, with six elected by the two university constituencies (three each by Trinity and the National University of Ireland).
The remaining 11 are then selected by the Taoiseach of the day.
The deadline for candidates on the vocational panel is December 31. Ballot papers are issued on January 15 and voting closes at 11am on Thursday, January 30. Counting of votes gets underway shortly after polls close.
SEE ALSO – Check out all our 2024 General Election coverage here
