Ahern is a first-time candidate for the Labour Party. He is a law solicitor and a founding director of charity Calcutta Connect which support education in underprivileged communities in India. Ahern is from Rathfarnham.

I believe we can solve problems like overcrowded hospitals and the homelessness crisis but in order to do so, we need to change... As a first time candidate, I am running so that I can be part of a new wave of politicians that will change the direction of our country.

My priorities are set by my constituents, and every day on the canvas trail I hear about how the housing crisis, the failure of our public transport system, an inability to access appropriate healthcare and the cost of childcare are crippling people's lives.

The party political system is truly broken if all TDs cannot come together and agree a cross-party 'state of emergency plan' to address the housing crisis in the first 100 days of the new Dáil. Our politicians have the capacity and the resources to solve this issue, all they need is the will.