ELECTED
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Party
Labour
EU alliance
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Constituency
Dublin
Occupation
TD for Dublin Bay North
Age
47
Biography
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has served as TD for Dublin Bay North since 2020 and is the Spokesperson for the Labour Party on education, enterprise and trade. Prior to his election as a TD, he was a senator from 2016 to 2020 and a TD for the Dublin North-Central constituency before that, from 2011 to 2016. He worked in the coalition Government as Minister of State for Equality, New Communities, Culture and the National Drugs Strategy from 2014 to 2016.
Question time
What do you deem the most important issue for the European Union now and what would you like to see happen in that area?
The European Union is under unprecedented threat from the far right and it is the primary reason for my candidacy in this election. The riots of November the 23rd that resulted in the city centre being effectively set alight during a racist riot illustrated clearly the manifestation of a political failure to prioritise the needs of Dublin and to tackle anti-immigrant sentiment. A Dublin MEP needs to be relevant to people's lives as much as a TD or a local councillor is.
What group will you be aligned with in the European Parliament, should you win a seat? What do you see as their priorities?
The Socialist and Democrats Group which is the second largest group in the European Parliament. The S&D group want to prioritise housing across the European Union - especially social and affordable housing. We feel that the State Aid Rules must be amended to enable local authorities to drive large scale construction of social and affordable homes.
Why should someone vote for you?
I believe in Dublin. I have campaigned relentlessly for 20 years on issues that affect those on the margins of Irish society. If elected I will dedicate the next 5 years to being present in Dublin and working for Dublin as a champion of issues that matter to people living here. I will not be an MEP that goes missing for 5 years.
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