John Hobson has compiled the most up-to-date profiles of local election candidates for this area available at time of going to press. With so many pressing issues, such as planning, traffic, employment and crime intruding on our personal lives, it is essential that we make our opinions known by supporting the candidates of our choice.

 

Candidates Pembroke

Chris Andrews (FF)
Chris Andrews is a sitting councillor for Fianna Fáil in the Pembroke ward. Chris believes that our environment is important to us and is a strong advocate of waste management improvements. He is also concerned about infrastructure and the inappropriate and large-scale development of apartments and offices in the city.

Chris feels that Dublin's virtual state of gridlock is a serious problem and he has been an advocate of quality bus corridors. He also believes that Local Government needs to be reformed but says this will not happen without Councillors who are strong enough to make the hard decisions.

Michael Turley (FF)
Michael Turley is a 29 year old IT professional from Donnybrook. Although he has no family connections in politics, he has always had a sincere interest in government and joined Fianna Fáil in 2002. Having worked with Councillor Garry Keegan and Deputy Eoin Ryan he was selected as a local election candidate for Pembroke.

Since graduating from Trinity College, he has worked for various IT companies and financial institutions. He feels that although technology has been identified as a critical component to Ireland's economic success, engineers are woefully under-represented at senior political level.

Lucinda Creighton (FG)
Lucinda Creighton is a representative for Fine Gael in the Pembroke area. Originally from Claremorris, Co. Mayo, she now lives in Donnybrook and works in Dublin City Centre. She is a Graduate of Law from Trinity College, Dublin and is also a qualified Attorney at Law from the New York Bar Association.

She is working to change the perception of politics and is committed to meeting with all local residents to listen to their concerns. Her priority is to highlight issues on behalf of residents, lobby for change and take action in the interests of the community.

 

Paddy McCartan (FG)
Paddy McCartan has strong roots in the community, having grown up in Ballsbridge. He attended school in Marian College and qualified as an Optician from Kevin Street. All his working life has been spent in Baggot Street and Ringsend, where he runs two opticians and it is from here that his involvement in community work began.

His priority issues for the local elections are: local environment, planning application and development proposals, harnessing the full potential of our older generation and increasing the integrity and effectiveness of local government. Paddy's campaign has the full backing of Cllr Joe Doyle, who is retiring after a distinguished career in politics.

Dermot Lacey (Labour)
Former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Dermot Lacey is the Labour Party candidate for the Pembroke area. He is married with two children and lives in Donnybrook and has been on the City Council since 1993.

Councillor Lacey is active in a wide range of community groups and is particularly committed to the reform of Local Government structures and for the introduction of a directly-elected Lord Mayor. Long housing lists, traffic problems and planning are high on his agenda for reform. He is against the proposed incinerator in the area and is enthusiastic about plans for the enhancement of Sandymount Strand.


Wendy Hederman (PD)
Wendy Hederman lives with her husband Brendan and three young children off Appian Way. She graduated from Trinity College, Dublin with a law degree and is a solicitor practicing commercial and EU law. Her mother, Carmencita Hederman served on DCC from 1974 to1999 and was Lord Mayor in 1988, when Dublin celebrated its Millennium.

Wendy is concerned about the threatened proposed development of an incinerator in the area and the proposal to build a 26-story apartment block in Donnybrook village. She says Dublin has been allowed to develop big city sprawl, but has a small city infrastructure and management.

Claire Wheeler (Green)
Cllr. Claire Wheeler was born in Dublin and spent her childhood years in Clonskeagh. Claire joined the Green Party in 1989. In 1991 she was elected to Dublin City Council but lost her seat in 1999 when Pembroke was reduced to a three-seater. However, she was co-opted back onto the Council by the Green Party to replace Ciaran Cuffe TD.

Some of her prime concerns include the maintenance of natural space and amenities, in particular Sandymount Strand and the Dodder Linear Park. Claire believes that facilities for children also need to be addressed, as crime and delinquency could be decreased through proper recreational and sports facilities.

Sinéad Pembroke (SF)
Sinéad Pembroke is the Sinn Féin candidate for the Pembroke ward of Dublin South East. She is a 20 year old Politics and Sociology student in University College Dublin and has been continually active on youth and student matters in the past few years.

Recently she has spoken strongly on the issues of sustainable development and the planned incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula. She feels that the people of Pembroke are looking for a real alternative and a fresh voice in City Hall to deal with matters such as these.

 

Candidates South East Inner City

Garry Keegan (FF)
Cllr. Garry Keegan MBS, MSc, has lived and worked in Dublin City since 1987. Garry studied Business and Marketing at both University College Dublin (UCD) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). He ran in the local elections in 1999 and replacedEoin Ryan on the Council four years ago.

He is a strong supporter of sports and admires the work of such organisations as the Poolbeg Boat and Yacht Club, Clann na Gael and Markevitch Football Club.


Pat Bunce (FF)
Pat Bunce is a Special Needs Resource Teacher in City Quay N.S. Pearse St. and lives in Sandymount. He has been involved in the Dublin Inner City Schools Primary Schools Initiative where he organised sports competitions for the 13 schools involved.

His is a member of the policy committee which conducted surveys and commissioned reports for the schools which were used to highlight needs for the schools in drawing down resources. Pat believes strongly in partnership between all facets of the Community and advocates the provision of Local Health Centres in the area similar to that being built in Meath Hospital. He supports the continued provision of affordable housing and continued rejuvenation of flat complexes as started by the present Government.

Conor Delaney (FG)
Conor Delaney is 30 years of age and has been involved in South Inner City issues for a number of years. His primary issues are Traffic, Health and Planning/Heritage. He also believes that Dublin City Council should increase funding to provide better local recycling facilities and he wants to see the creation of a new traffic division. He says that a new metropolitan Garda force with sole responsibility for patrolling and the power of arrest is also needed to make our streets safer.

Conor is a member of the Clanna Gael Hurling Club in Ringsend, the Sandymount and Merrion Residents' Association and is a Minister for the Word in Star of the Sea Church in Sandymount.

Kevin Humphreys (Labour)
Cllr. Kevin Humphreys is leader of the Labour Group on Dublin City Council. He was born and grew up in the South East Inner City and has first-hand experience of many issues that affect local communities. He believes that a fairer society will only be achieved through equality of opportunity and as a member of the City of Dublin Vocation Education Committee has worked for improved access to education for all.

Kevin has actively worked on identifying sites for social and affordable housing and has been to the fore on the City Council against the location of an incinerator in Ringsend. He has worked to improve amenities for the youth in the Ringsend/Pearse Street area and is actively involved in many relevant committees.

Daithí Doolan (SF)
Daithí Doolan is the Sinn Féin Representative for Dublin South East and says he has a 'passion for politics'. Originally from Cork, he has been a political activist for most of his adult life and was active in CND, The Anti Single European Act Campaign and The Anti Apartheid Movement.

He lived in London for five years and since returning to Ireland in 1992 he has held many posts within Sinn Féin. He has been active in campaigning against bin charges, hospitals closures and high-rise developments. He has also tackled both the causes and consequences of drug addiction in the community with great success as a founding member and current PRO for the Ringsend & District Response to Drugs.

John Kenny (PD)
John Kenny is 29 years old and was brought up in Ringsend and then Pearse Street. He was educated in Marian College and won a scholarship to study accountancy and finance in Portobello Business College. He is currently working in financial services in Hatch Street, having previously worked as a commercial accountant.

Kenny is a member of the National Crime Council and his special interest is to involve local communities in crime prevention. Like the majority of people living in Ringsend Irishtown and Sandymount he is worried over the proposed development of Europe's largest incinerator at Poolbeg.

Pauline O'Shea (Green)
Pauline O'Shea is a resident of Doris Street, Ringsend. Some of her policies include education for life, healthcare with dignity, working for an inclusive society including making EU Nationals and Non-Nationals aware of their right to vote in local and European elections if they are resident in the country for a year or longer. Pauline is also concerned about sustainable waste management and real measures to end traffic gridlock.

 

Shay Ryan (SWP)
Shay Ryan is originally from South Lotts Road, Ringsend and now lives in Ranelagh. He is a care worker with the Irish Wheelchair Association at the Mount Street Day Centre. He is the Dublin South East representative for the Campaign against the Bin Tax and is also active in the fight against incineration.

Shay says, 'There are hundreds of people on the housing lists across the South East Constituency. Yet large parts of Ringsend and Pearse Street have been taken over by private property developers who build luxury apartments and sky-scraper office blocks.'

 

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