May 26th, 2019
With more than half of the seats now filled in the local elections, it is clear that a Green Wave has washed over Ireland.
While the traditional twin power players of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have so far racked up half of the first preference votes, the Greens have easily seen the most significant bounce in the share of the vote compared to 2014.
With 35 councillors elected so far, Kayle Crosson takes a look at some of the eco-friendly faces elected to local authorities across the country.
Ciaran Cuffe
Dublin City
Councillor Ciaran Cuffe is now re-elected in the North Inner City district with
1,386 votes and is currently on track to secure the largest share of votes in
the Dublin MEP constituency.
He has
previously served two terms in the Dail and was a Minister of State, where he
was responsible for Climate Change, Planning, and Sustainable Transport. Cuffe
is also the party Spokesperson for Transport & Cities.
In
addition, he co-chaired the committee that established the Climate Change
Action Plan 2019 – 2024 for Dublin City Council.
Cuffe has
consistently campaigned on investment in public transport and wants to bring
Dublin City Council homes from a D to an A energy rating.
Speaking on
Claire Byrne Live, Cuffe also said he would like to see the introduction of
free public transport, starting with children. “I’d move onto reduced fairs,
and eventually, make it free,” he said.
He has also
proposed allowing for the sale of surplus electricity generated by homes,
business and farms back to the grid.
Claire
Byrne
Claire Byrne
has been re-elected as a Dublin City Councillor with almost 2,000 first
preference votes, and will retain her seat in Dublin South East Inner City. She
is also the Green Party spokesperson for Arts & Culture.
Byrne has expressed
her intention to “continue to create a clean, vibrant, green and climate-ready
city” if re-elected as well as to “create a safe, calm, cycling and
child-friendly city”.
As a
councillor, she introduced a ban on single-use plastics in Council offices,
cafes in parks and public events, and helped to deliver the new climate action
plan for Dublin City.
She also
pushed for measures to address litter and dog waste, advocated for trials of
public recycling bins and drinking water fountains, and monitored the activity
of the Poolbeg Waste to Energy facility through the Council’s environment planning
committee.
Byrne also recently
secured an agreement for 900 social and affordable homes and has proposed
motions to introduce rent controls.
In
addition, as a councillor Byrne also reintroduced a cycling and walking officer
for Dublin City and proposed the pedestrianisation of Suffolk, South William,
and Drury Street.
Patrick
Costello
With over
20 per cent of the Kimmage-Rathmines vote, the Green Party’s Patrick Costello
has been re-elected to the City Council. A former social worker, Costello is
the Party’s spokesperson for Social Protection.
Costello
campaigned for sustainable transport, particularly in relation to walking and
safe, affordable cycling. He argues that it allows Dublin to play its part in
tackling climate change, as well allowing a cleaner, more accessible place to
live. He has
also advocated for a “strong executive mayor” to deliver on public
transport.
In order to
reduce daily traffic, Costello has proposed creating “school streets” which
would allow streets with entrances to schools open only to cyclists and
pedestrians at opening and closing school times.
Costello pledged
that if re-elected he will push for public housing on public land and to work
on the city’s Climate Action Plan.
“And I want
to see the Council equip its own buildings with micro-generation technologies
to reduce its carbon use, and help reduce costs,” Costello recently wrote on
his candidate website. “A Green voice at the Council is essential,” he added.
So it seems quota is 2051 & I got 4069 first preferences out of 12,598 votes. So that’s 33.3% of the votes. #Pembroke #Dublin #Internet I
you!!!!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Its been a hell of a ride. I hope I can do you all proud. #LE19 #LocalElections2019 pic.twitter.com/lkZwTa1NxX
— Hazel Chu (@hazechu) May 25, 2019
Hazel
Chu
Hazel Chu
became the first Green councillor elected this weekend bringing in a whopping
33 per cent of the vote – with more than 2,000 surplus votes – to gain a
seat in the Pembroke ward in Dublin.
Chu, the party’s
Spokesperson for Enterprise, stressed
the importance of “climate action now rather than later” in her campaign.
She says
that “we need proper climate action, and we need just transition for workers in
companies that are impacted when we move to a greener future”.
A graduate
of The Kings Inns and UCD Smurfit, Chu is a first-time candidate and has
previously worked in Hong-Kong, New York and Sydney.
Chu has expressed
an interest in looking at rent control and a higher levy so that derelict
sites can be revitalised and become new homes. She also told the Dublin
Inquirer recently that 24-hour cycle routes are needed in the capital.
Una
Power
Another
first time candidate, Una Power has been elected in the Killiney-Shankill
district of Dublin. She topped the poll in the ward with over 2,000 first
preference votes and will now take a seat on the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County
Council.
She is currently
a communications adviser to TD Catherine Martin and is also the party’s
spokesperson for Equality.
In her campaign video, Power pledged that if elected,
she would prioritize, climate action, sustainable planning and affordable
homes, as well as biodiversity protection, and active and public transport that
is accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
Power also told The Green News today that affordable and energy efficient housing is also going to be a priority for her.
Neasa
Hourigan
First-time
candidate Neasa Hourigan won one of the seven seats available for the Cabra-Glasnevin
ward with over 2,000 first preference votes and gains a seat in Dublin City
Council.
Hourigan has
previously worked in the private and public sector as an architect and a
consultant in sustainability on a number of Irish infrastructure projects.
As a
full-time carer for a disabled child, Hourigan is a strong advocate for
disability rights and says she will “fight for increased access to employment
and the provision of healthcare and appropriate supporting therapies to all
persons where needed”.
According
to her candidacy
website, she is a proponent of decent, affordable housing, city
accessibility, and good cycling infrastructure.
Hourigan has pledged to focus on waste and plastic reduction, to address air pollution, and improve green space and sports amenities access for children and adults.
Donna
Cooney
Community
activist Donna Cooney has been elected as a councillor for Clontarf with over
2,500 first preference votes.
During her
campaign, Cooney stressed her commitment to protecting the
“natural and built heritage” in Dublin Bay and neighbouring areas and for a safer
cycling and walking environment.
Cooney has
also proposed safeguarding access to quality childcare and care for older
people in communities, as well as creating living communities designed with
consideration for children and people who are less mobile.
Speaking to the Dublin Inquirer for their local election voting guide, Cooney also referred to her previous campaign work on fossil fuel divestment. She also recently campaigned for a revamp of the proposed plans for the new children’s hospital to bring it up to new mandated European energy efficiency standards.
THANK YOU!
#GreenWave pic.twitter.com/qFiklbkmeq
— Michael Pidgeon (@Pidge) May 26, 2019
Michael
Pidgeon
Michael
Pidgeon has secured his Council seat in the South-West Inner City district with
over 1,700 first preference votes.
Pidgeon is
an experienced campaigner, having worked for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan,
as well as Ciaran Cuffe during his time as Minister for Sustainable Transport
and Planning.
On his campaign website,
Pidgeon pledged to “stand up for affordable housing, crack down on full-time
AirBnB lettings, [and] penalise derelict units”.
He also supports
cost rental developments, and would like to see a speedier planning permission process
for developments with more social and affordable housing.
He also hopes to create more open space in the city, expand safe cycle lanes, give pedestrians priority at busy junctions, and support bus reforms.
Roisin
Garvey
With over 1,300
first preference votes, Roisin Garvey was elected on the fourth count in
Ennistymon in Co Clare.
Garvey
continuously campaigned to support small businesses, stressing on her website
that, “small businesses are the biggest employer in North Clare and a lifeline
for the local economy”.
In order to
bolster them, she advocates for better access to local training, marketing, and
support, for sustainable tourism. She also wants to work with local
entrepreneurs to help, “future proof Clare businesses against Brexit”.
Garvey also
campaigned for supporting farmers who she says have “always been the natural
custodians of the environment” and are very aware of the effects of climate
change.
She pledges to aim for better prices for meat and milk through linking farmers directly to consumers, to assist with farm diversification and to work for a less bureaucratic approach to the cottage food industry in Co Clare.
Vincent
P Martin
Vincent P.
Martin has secured his seat in the Naas electoral area in Co Kildare with over
1,400 first preference votes. He is a former member of Monaghan County Council.
“We haven’t
had a Green voice elected on Kildare County Council for a period of ten years,
that’s changed now,” Martin told Kfm’s Clem Ryan on Sunday.
“A ten-year
gap was too long. We can now start a different conversation, a different
perspective. We’re not going to fix the world with the election of a couple of
Green members, but we can certainly try to make things a lot better on the
ground,” he added.
In a recent
campaign video, Martin stressed the need for supports
in facilities, in services, and in traffic management to meet a growing
commuter population in the county.
Martin has a legal background and currently works as a barrister in Dublin.
Alastair
McKinstry
Following
the fourth count in Connemara South, Alastair McKinstry today secured a Galway
County Council seat with 985 first preference votes.
During his
campaign, McKinstry pledged his support for Greenways that would connect
Connemara, Barna and Galway to revitalize local tourism and improve rural
transport.
McKinstry comes
from a science background and is currently a climate scientist at the Irish
Centre for High-End Computing in NUI Galway.
According to the Green Party website, McKinstry using Ireland’s supercomputer facilities to determine the effects of climate change, and how we can mitigate and adapt to the changes coming down the road.
Lorna
Bogue
Lorna Bogue
has been elected to Cork City Council with over 2,000 first preference votes in
Cork City South-East.
On the
Green Party website, Bogue lists large-scale provision of
public housing, protecting Cork City’s heritage and fighting against the wall
scheme as key positions.
Ending
direct provision and reintroducing a system of light rail to Cork City are also
among her campaign priorities.
Bogue was the press officer for the Cork Together For Yes and is an active opponent of the proposed Ringaskiddy incinerator. She also assisted with the drafting of proposed legislation banning microbeads from the Greens.
Pauline O’Reilly
Pauline
O’Reilly, the party’s spokesperson for Children and Youth Affairs, has secured
her seat on Galway City Council after winning over 1,200 first preference
votes.
The first
Green to be elected to Galway City Council since 2004, she wants to prioritise sustainable
development, safe green spaces, and more frequent buses and rail options.
She is also
looking to improve cycling infrastructure in the city, as well as push for more
inclusive multi-denominational options in education.
O’Reilly supports
the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, and according to the Galway Advertiser, has previously called on Galway
City Council to set aside areas in public parks and roadside verges for
pollinators.
The post The Green Wave: a new breed of eco-councillors appeared first on Green News Ireland.
