Niamh Hourigan selected as Labour candidate in upcoming European elections

LIMERICK native Niamh Hourigan has been selected as the Labour Party’s candidate for the European elections in the Ireland South constituency.

The local sociologist was selected as the Labour candidate for the Ireland South constituency in the upcoming European Parliament elections at a convention in the Metropole Hotel in Cork City.

Welcoming her nomination, Niamh Hourigan said: “I am honoured to have been chosen by the Labour Party to represent them in the Ireland South constituency and to hopefully help bring the Labour voice to Europe. I will bring three priorities to Europe: to fight for a just transition to a greener economy, introducing a European plan for affordable housing, and protecting Irish neutrality.

“I have spent most of my career working within the Ireland South constituency and during that time I have worked intensively to draw attention to inequality and social exclusion through my research and my contributions to the media. As I have conducted my research as a Sociologist over the past two decades I have continued to listen to the concerns on the ground and these insights and concerns have been woven through my publications and are at the heart of all the work I do.

“Our daily lives are increasingly governed by European policy and protocols and for the past 10 years, those who support the Labour voice and the Labour perspective in Ireland South have had no-one to represent them in Europe. In this particularly politically fractious time, incensed by global conflict, climate change, and significant crises in housing and the cost-of-living, I believe I can be the Labour voice in Europe and can fight to push these crucial policies at a European level.”

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik said: “I am delighted that Niamh is our Labour candidate for the European elections in Ireland South. Niamh has a long and proud track record of standing up for social and economic equality and we are determined to see her elected to the European Parliament, to represent the Labour values of equality, solidarity and fairness in Brussels.

“This election is crucial for Ireland. Increasingly we see the impact here of laws drafted and agreed at a European level, so we need to ensure that our representatives at European level will fight for a fairer, more sustainable future. And crucially we need to ensure that Ireland will have representation within the Party of European Socialists, the grouping to which Labour MEPs belong.

“I know that Niamh is absolutely committed to building an Ireland that works for all. Through Niamh’s candidacy, Labour is offering a genuine alternative to people in Ireland South. We want to return Niamh as an MEP to help change the focus of European politics, towards the creation of a more social Union, where workers’ rights, social rights, environmental sustainability and human rights are at the core.

“Niamh is our second candidate selected for the forthcoming European elections, joining Aodhán Ó Ríordáin who was selected last month to contest in Dublin. We are very proud to see both Niamh and Aodhan come forward as candidates of immense calibre and integrity, and we look forward to the campaign ahead,” she added.

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Niamh is the Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick and has previously worked as a sociologist in University College Cork and the University of Limerick. She is currently a member of the Teaching Council, a member of the Board of the Central Applications Office (CAO) and a member of the Irish Department of Justice’s Review Team of Civil Legal Aid.

In addition to her extensive academic experience, Hourigan is a widely respected commentator on a variety of themes including value change, minority culture, education, corruption, crime, and community violence. Hourigan worked as a journalist and radio presenter while completing her PhD and is a frequent contributor to national and local media on themes of sociological interest.

Niamh is a mother of two and is the daughter of former Mayor of Limerick, Michael Hourigan. She is a sister of Green Party TD, Neasa Hourigan.