Sinn Fein add second candidate to election ticket in Limerick City

SENATOR Paul Gavan has been added as a second Sinn Féin General Election candidate for Limerick City, it was announced this Sunday.

He will be running alongside sitting TD Maurice Quinlivan.

Mr Gavan, of Castleconnell, has spent almost nine years as an ICTU nominee to the Labour Panel of the Seanad.

A former union official with SIPTU, he is most associated with his successful campaign to pass a law establishing  a legal right to tips for workers in the hospitality sector. Mr Gavan also worked closely with the Together for Safety campaign to establish Safe Access Zones in law to protect the privacy and dignity of women accessing healthcare.

A passionate advocate for workers rights, he has also “been outspoken on issues of international justice as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, especially the genocide against the Palestinian people. He is a staunch defender of Irish neutrality”. 

As a union official he played a key role in organising workers in early years education which led to the first Employment Regulation Order for the childcare sector.

Speaking after his selection was confirmed, Senator Gavan said: “It’s a great honour to be asked to run alongside  Maurice Quinlivan. We are running on a progressive platform of real change to tackle the crises in housing and in University Hospital Limerick. 

“We will deliver record levels of housing and make renting affordable again. We will tackle the crisis in UHL by delivering the beds and staff that are needed and  establish a second Emergency Department for the region.”

Mr Gavan said the people of Limerick cannot afford another five years of this government. 

“Over the lifetime of this government rents have gone up by €10,000. It’s no wonder seven out of ten people aged between 18 and 33 are living with their parents! We have also seen the crisis in UHL worsen each year with lives being lost and new record numbers of patients left to languish on trolleys.”

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Deputy Maurice Quinlivan gave a warm welcome to the addition of Mr Gavan to the ballot paper. 

“I am delighted to see my friend and comrade Paul added to the ticket. Sinn Fein are giving a clear choice to the people of our constituency.

"If you want to see  alternative to the failed policies of Fianna Fail and their sister party Fine Gael then vote 1 and 2 for Sinn Fein."