Kate O’Connell to focus on childcare, abortion, and SMEs

Childcare, abortion, and support for small businesses will be key targets for newly elected Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell during her first term in the Dáil.

However, as the former local councillor readily admits, the impact she has on these issues is largely dependent on whether her party is in power when imminent negotiations on the next government eventually end.

The pharmacist and mother of three from Rathgar won the final seat in the hotly contested four-seat Dublin Bay South constituency in last month’s general election, securing alongside poll topper Eoghan Murphy one of a small number of 100% Fine Gael election success rates.

Due to the fact her victory effectively cost Renua leader Lucinda Creighton her seat, the 36-year-old former Dublin city councillor is already gaining a notable national profile.

However, she stresses the win is based solely on the hard work put in over recent months instead of rivalries.

“We had a huge campaign [in the constituency], we were canvassing since November and had been working on the campaign all through the previous year,” Ms O’Connell told the Irish Examiner.

Now she has taken a Dáil seat, she plans to focus on supporting small businesses and raising the threshold they need to provide Vat returns, childcare issues such as the second free preschool year — her children are aged five, three, and five months — and women’s health.

The latter relates to the contentious abortion issue, a debate Ms O’Connell showed no signs of shying away from in the past, insisting yesterday it “has to be addressed in the next government”.

Whether her party forms part of that next government remains at this stage an unanswered question.

However, she says that while entry into coalition would allow her further scope to push the issues, the main focus right now needs to be on a stable government for the country.

“I don’t care what form [the next government] takes as long as it is stable, everyone who is elected — while I may not agree with the banner they have run under — they have been elected.

“Obviously whether you’re in or out of government will have an impact on whether you can achieve what you want or not. But as to what form the next government could take, I really couldn’t hazard a guess,” she said.