Former Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle member to contest election as independent

Natalie Treacy said the 'decision on whether the people want me to continue to represent them will be made by the people themselves'

Natalie Treacy is leaving the party to 'continue to represent' the people of her area. File picture 

A former Sinn Féin councillor and member of the party's Ard Chomhairle, who ran in the 2024 local elections in Mary Lou McDonald's backyard, will contest the general as an independent, she has announced.

Natalie Treacy became the party's first-ever councillor in the Castleknock ward of Fingal in 2014 and retained her seat despite the party losing almost half of its council seats. 

In 2024, she contested the local elections for Dublin City Council in Cabra/Glasnevin but received just 2.5% of the vote.

In her statement earlier this week, Ms Treacy said that moving areas was a decision made by the party.

In a post on social media, Ms Treacy has now said that she is leaving the party "with a heavy heart" but had done so to be able to "continue to represent" the people of her area.

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"I have made the decision to listen to the people who have elected me for the last 10 years, to run in the upcoming general election.

It is with a heavy heart that I have had to leave Sinn Féin in order to continue to represent the people in my constituency and run as an Independent candidate.

"I was first elected onto Fingal County Council in 2014 and then re-elected in 2019. In 2024, I did not lose my seat on Fingal County Council but the party made the decision to move me into a new area," she said.

"The people of Dublin West have expressed very clearly to me that this was a mistake. With that in mind, I have listened very carefully to the people and have put a lot of thought into this decision."

Ms Treacy said that the "decision on whether the people want me to continue to represent them will be made by the people themselves and not decided by a small group of people in the local Sinn Féin structure who continuously blocked me".

Ms Treacy's decision to run will pit her against sitting Sinn Féin TD Paul Donnelly, Finance Minister Jack Chambers, Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman, as well as Senator Emer Currie, former TD Ruth Coppinger, and sitting councillor Tania Doyle.