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Labour councillor to contest neighbouring ward

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

THE Labour Party has continued to lay down plans in a bid to add to its number of council seats at next year’s local elections.
In a surprising move, north inner city ward councillor Aodhan O Riordain has been selected to run in the Clontarf ward, after recently announcing he would be stepping aside from his current position.
Meanwhile, in the Artane ward, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Paddy Bourke, has again been joined on the ticket by Sinead Seery, who just missed out on a seat at the last local elections in 2004.

The selection of Cllr O’Riordain may raise some eyebrows, as he had initially declared his intentions to step down from representing the north inner city, due to the fact he had been appointed principal of a local school.
Last December, Cllr O Riordain said his role as principal of St Laurence O’Toole’s Girls’ National School in Sheriff Street and as a local councillor could lead to accusations of a conflict of interests.
However, speaking to Northside People this week, Cllr O Riordain said he was now looking forward to the challenge of winning a council seat back for the Labour Party in the Clontarf ward.
He said it hadn’t been his intention to run in a different ward but that he had been persuaded to do so by fellow party members.
“I was approached at the party’s national conference last November about the possibility of running in Clontarf with a view to regaining public representation in the Dublin North Central area,” Cllr O Riordain stated.
“If it hadn’t been for the fact that I was asked, I would not have put myself forward for Clontarf but I am now delighted to have been selected and it gives me an opportunity to continue campaigning on a number of important issues.”
While Cllr O Riordain admitted there would be different matters to deal with in the Clontarf ward compared to the north inner city ward, he stressed that a number of issues remain constant.
“There are issues such as education and social justice that affect every area and they are two that I will continue to work on,” he said.
“There are some planning issues which are important to Clontarf and while I have just come into the ward, I will work hard to defend what’s in the best interests of the people there.”
In the Artane ward, Sinead Seery will be hoping to improve on her showing at the last local elections when she missed out on a seat by just 190 votes.
“It’s imperative to maximise the number of Labour seats at the local elections next year and I’m looking forward to increasing our share of the vote through a vigorous, energetic and positive campaign,” Ms Seery said.
Local issues, which she said she would address during her campaign include the redevelopment of Northside Shopping Centre and the surrounding area, the development at Lawrence Lands and the development of the North Fringe area.
“It is important that planning decisions meet the needs of the local community,” Ms Seery said.

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