GE2024: It's Dail to play four as Byrne vows to 'live up to the responsibility entrusted in him'

Thomas Byrne says he intends to “live up to the responsibility that his constituents have entrusted in him” and will “fight” for his area after being elected into his fourth Dail term at the weekend.

Byrne was elected on the last count at around midnight on Sunday with 10,525 votes after a long two days in Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA centre. The relief was clear to see on the face of the veteran politician who first served as a TD in 2007.

Speaking after his election the Minister of State for at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Sport and Physical Education) said: “I'm so humbled, so grateful to my lovely family, my friends, my party organisation and to the voters of Meath East who have put me into the Dáil four times.

“I have to say, even to this day, walking into Dáil Éireann is such a privilege, such an honour and I hope I live up to the responsibility that my constituents have entrusted in me, and I'm just so grateful.

Byrne added: “The greatest honour anyone can have is to represent their constituency and community in the national parliament and I look forward to doing that, whatever comes after that is for another day.

“I'll be in there fighting for the issues I've always fought for, better services for the area, the Navan rail line and making sure we can continue our economic progress because there are threats out there.

“People have voted for a serious government and we need that now and I'm really grateful to be given the opportunity to be give that responsibility in the Meath East constituency.”

After a gruelling few months of a will there / won't there be an election this year, a short campaign and a long weekend of gaining seats and eliminating candidates, Deputy Byrne says in a world where democracy is under threat, we need to embrace the Irish one.

“It was a really long count and at times I felt it was dragging on but then I copped myself on, it's a Dáil election, the counts take as long as they take because it's democracy and democracy is precious.

“Democracy appears be actually going out of fashion around the world and there's fewer democracies now. So let's treasure this one.”

Byrne has been the bearer of good news in recent months with a plethora of sports funding announcements benefiting local clubs.

Just last month, more than €100,000 in funding was awarded to Meath Local Sports Partnership that will see new basketball courts installed in Dunshaughlin Community Park, Kilmainhamwood village and Blackwater Park, Navan.

New volleyball posts will also be installed on Bettystown Beach as part of the funding. It follows a number of investments in the area of sport from Byrne's department.

“If I couldn't do it as minister for sport when could I do it,” previously stated the Fianna Fail deputy during his campaign.

“The most important thing for me was to activate clubs to apply and by and large they did and Meath has got the highest amount of funding it has ever received and is up there among the top counties,” he added.

“This will mean new and improved facilities right across the county, I hope that it is a start, I'd like to do more, our young people in particular badly need it.”

Byrne added that the delivery of the Navan Rail Line will be top priority for him and his party going forward into the next government.

“Work has been started on planning for the Navan Rail Line and we want to see that delivered,” explains the Meath East TD.

“It is something I want to see happen and Fianna Fail will make sure it happens,” he adds.