Social Democrats name Durcan as Dublin Bay-South candidate

Sarah Durcan is the Social Democrats candidate for the Dublin Bay-South byelection. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

The Social Democrats have announced Sarah Durcan as their candidate for the Dublin Bay-South byelection.

Ms Durcan, originally from Mayo, has lived in the constituency for almost three decades and was confirmed by a party convention tonight, as the only nominee put forward.

The UCD graduate has worked as the Associate Director of Science Gallery International since 2011 and serves on the advisory panel of Dublin City Council’s Culture Company.

She was also a lead organiser of the #wakingthefeminists campaign, to achieve gender equality in Irish theatre and previously served on the boards of the Abbey Theatre, Theatre Forum and Gaze Film Festival.

The Social Democrats are hoping to expand their current number of TDs from six to seven, and Ms Durcan says this ballot will come down to housing.

“This by-election is not only a referendum on this Government, but on a way of political thinking that has locked-out and sold-out a generation – lacking imagination, ambition and the ideals of who we truly are as a people," she said.

Time and again they have put corporations and profits over communities, and shoddy short-term fixes over long-term benefits.

“In this by-election, the people of Dublin Bay South can send a powerful message. That we expect more from our politics. That everyone has a right to an affordable home. That lengthy waiting lists for medical treatment are not acceptable. That nobody should be left behind."

Ms Durcan joins Ivana Bacik from Labour, James Geoghan from Fine Gael, Deirdre Conroy from Fianna Fáil and Independent Mannix Flynn so far to contest the seat vacated by former Fine Gael housing minister Eoghan Murphy.

Sinn Féin have also announced Senator Lynn Boylan as their candidate for the contest while the Green Party are expected to announce their candidate this Friday.