GE2024: Meath candidates launch general election campaigns

As Taoiseach Simon Harris prepares to travel to Aras An Uachtarian today to ask President of Ireland Michael D Higgins to dissolve the 33rd Dáil, Meath's general election candidates have wasted no time getting their November 29th election campaigns underway.

Commitments on road safety, childcare places and viable Meath communities were the key messages from Meath West Fine Gael candidate, Linda Nelson Murray whose campaign launch in O'Brien's bar in Old Johnstown was endorsed by Minister Helen McEntee and Nina Carberry, MEP

Cllr Nelson is an experienced campaigner who has worked hard for the people of Meath for many years. She has campaigned on many local and national issues, especially her nationwide campaign to keep children’s play areas open by reducing insurance costs through Insurance Reform. Speaking at her launch, she set out her priorities for the county in the general election campaign:

“Meath is a fantastic county and a great place to live and bring up a family, but we’ve a lot more to do. I’m determined to bring a new energy to politics in Meath, especially in tackling road safety, securing more childcare places, ensuring that we have viable communities right across the county with building affordable housing for all ages."

Ms Nelson Murray was elected to Meath County Council last June and was selected to run in Meath West following sitting Fine Gael TD, Damien English's decision not to run in the upcoming election. The Zone business owner, Linda was a director with the Alliance for Insurance Reform working for many years on legislative changes and was a founding member of PALI, Play Activity & Leisure Ireland, a group set up to help save over 120 businesses in the leisure industry by obtaining fair insurance through a group scheme.

Meanwhile, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will launch her General Election campaign in Keogan's, Nobber, tonight. Her campaign will be launched by European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness.

So far 11 candidates have declared for the Meath East constituency which has another seat up for grabs this time round as it moves from a three to a four-seater, reclaiming lost territory in north Meath and the coastal area.

The candidates so far in the race are Fine Gael's Minister Helen McEntee and Cllr Sharon Tolan; Fianna Fail's Minister Thomas Byrne and Cllr Caroline O'Reilly; Sinn Féin's Darren O'Rourke TD and Cllr Maria White; Emer Tóibín (Aontú); Eilish Balfe (Labour); Ruadhain Bonham (Green Party); Cllr Gillian Toole (IND); Sivakumar Murugadoss.

In Meath West, Damien English's decision not to run means there will be at least one new face in the three-seater constituency where 10 candidates have so far declared.

They are Peadar Tóibín TD (Aontú), Johnny Guirke TD (SF), Linda Nelson Murray (FG), Aisling Dempsey (FF), Noel French (IND), Ronan Moore (Soc Dem), Seamus McMenamin (GP); Finbar Lynch (PBP), David O'Shea (IFP), Ian McGauley (TIP).

As candidates and their teams prepare to erect election posters across the length and breadth of both constituencies, the ESB Networks is reminding all groups that the erection of candidate posters on electricity poles is strictly prohibited and poses a serious safety risk to members of the public as well as ESB Networks staff and contractors.

They say hazardous situations have been created in the past by people erecting posters on live electricity poles and infrastructure. Attaching anything to electricity poles exposes individuals to the risk of electric shock, burns and falling from a height. ESB Networks’ wires and equipment are always live, and posters attached to poles have previously caused poles to catch fire and fall.