Councillor Hazel Chu has been selected by the Green Party to contest the next general election and attempt to retain the seat in Dublin Bay South currently held by Eamon Ryan.
The former lord mayor of Dublin was one of 11 candidates confirmed by the party on Monday to contest the general election in constituencies around the State.
Mr Ryan last month announced he would be standing down as Green Party leader and would not contest the next election. He was last week replaced as leader by Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman.
Ms Chu won the contest to be the party’s Dublin Bay South candidate, overcoming competition from fellow councillor Claire Byrne and Carolyn Moore. She said she was “honoured” to be selected and thanked her competitors and Mr Ryan.
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Mr Ryan was reported to have backed Ms Byrne in the race to succeed him on the party ticket. Ms Chu told The Irish Times she fully understood his thinking, pointing to the fact Ms Byrne works as Mr Ryan’s parliamentary assistant. She said Mr Ryan had contacted her offering his congratulations. “I get the feeling no matter who had won he would be backing them.”
On her chances of retaining the seat, she said Dublin Bay South “always has a Green-leaning seat” and that the constituency’s voters understood the climate emergency. She said the party had a strong local election result in the area and “all we can do” is run a positive campaign.
The other candidates announced on Monday are sitting TDs Brian Leddin (Limerick City); Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford); Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central); Minister for Media Catherine Martin (Dublin-Rathdown); Minister of State Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny); Minister of State Joe O’Brien (Dublin Fingal West); Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West); and Steven Matthews (Wicklow).
Senators Pauline O’Reilly and Vincent P Martin have been selected to contest the election in Galway West and Kildare North respectively.
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