Constituency profile: Kildare North

The population of this constituency has, like many other commuter belt areas, increased in recent years.

As a result housing tops the list of issues among many residents, whether they are struggling with negative equity, being hit with rising rents or are on the long waiting list for social housing.

The demand for accommodation in areas such as Naas, Sallins, Celbridge, and Leixlip has seen rents soar.

Coupled with this is the high cost of childcare. With both spouses in most families having to commute to work each day, child- care provision as well as maternity and paternity benefits are of interest on the doorsteps.

The horrific nature of criminality was witnessed in recent weeks with the grim discovery of the body parts of Kenneth O’Brien in the Grand Canal. Many are worried that gangland crime has moved into parts of the constituency and fear this problem will escalate.

In 2011 Fine Gael managed to elect two members to Dáil Éireann, but it is likely to be a challenge to hold onto both seats in the upcoming election.

Fianna Fáil, which last time failed to have a single candidate elected in Kildare North, as the tide of support went out across the country, will be hoping to win back a seat on February 26.

It has selected two candidates to run, with James Lawless the most likely to be in contention for the fourth and final seat. Elected a local councillor in 2014, he has campaigned for a better rail service for the Naas-Sallins area.

His main rival will be sitting Fine Gael TD Anthony Lawlor, who will also be in with a strong chance of retaining his seat.

Catherine Murphy, who ran as an Independent in the last election, has since gone on to join the Social Democrats.

During her five years in Leinster House she earned recognition for using her Dáil privilege to highlight dealings between the former Anglo Irish Bank (now the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation), and Siteserv, a company bought by billionaire businessman Denis O’Brien.

Sitting TDs Emmet Stagg of Labour and Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan will be hopeful of returning to the Dáil.

Other candidates include Sinn Féin’s Réada Cronin and Ashling Merriman of the Anti-Austerity Alliance.

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