Cork

Change county

Mick Wallace seeking re-election to European Parliament in Ireland South constituency

Mick Wallace

John Bohane
© Corkman

Sitting MEP for Ireland South Mick Wallace submitted his nomination papers to the Cork City Returning Officer on Tuesday, April 29. Mr Wallace who previously served as a TD since 2011 has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019 for Independents 4 Change. Mr Wallace who hails from Wexford is looking forward to the election campaign and meeting people in the constituency. “Ireland South is a massive and really diverse constituency. It has some amazing places and great people. I love meeting people, discussing the issues of the day and being challenged on issues too,” he said. “People all over Ireland are struggling with the cost of living crisis,” said Mr Wallace. “This is a direct result of decisions at EU level which are undermining the living conditions of many people. We are spending billions and billions on military build-up instead of housing and healthcare, while the new EU economic governance framework is an austerity package that will further restrict the fiscal space member states need to invest in affordable and social hosing, in job creation and decent work.

“We need to build an EU that puts the people's interests before those of big business. The EU will only work when it learns to care for all its people in a fair manner. I have approached my work in the European Parliament with the same seriousness as I did my work in the Dáil. It is an important institution along with the European Council in the co-decision process which makes the rules and regulations that govern our lives,” he added. Mr Wallace will host a question and answer event in the Rock Community Centre, Cork on Thursday, May 16.

19 candidates are set to battle it out for the five seats in the Ireland South constituency in this year’s European elections.

The counties in the Ireland South constituency include Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford and Wicklow.

The current MEPs in the Ireland South constituency are Deirdre Clune (FG), Billy Kelleher (FF), Seán Kelly (FG), Grace O’Sullivan (Green Party) and Mick Wallace (Independents 4 Change).

Cork MEP Deirdre Clune is not running again for election.

The other four sitting MEPS have all confirmed that they will be contesting for re-election.

Cork businessman John Mullins is running as the second Fine Gael candidate with Seán Kelly.

Former RTÉ presenter Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has been selected by Fianna Fáil as a candidate alongside Billy Kelleher in the Ireland South constituency.

Sinn Féin have selected Senator Paul Gavan and Kathleen Funchion a sitting TD for Carlow-Kilkenny to contest the Ireland South constituency, while

Limerick sociologist Niamh Hourigan has been selected as the Labour Party candidate.

The Social Democrats have selected Cork based solicitor Susan Doyle as their party candidate for the European elections.

People Before Profit representative Cian Prendiville will represent the party in the upcoming Ireland South European election.

Cork man Patrick Murphy has been selected by Aontú to contest for a seat in Ireland South, while Michael Leahy a Clare native has been confirmed as the Irish Freedom Party candidate in Ireland South.

Lorna Bogue who is a sitting councillor in the Cork City South East constituency since 2019 will be running for the Green Left party An Rabharta Glas.

Derek Blighe is running for the Ireland First Party, while Mary Fitzgibbon who hails from Ballymacelligott in County Kerry will be running as an Independent candidate.

Independent candidate Graham de Barra who hails from Cork has also confirmed he will run for election in the Ireland South constituency.

Eddie Punch a suckler and beef farmer is also standing as an Independent candidate.

In recent days Independent TD Michael McNamara became the latest politician to announce that he will be contesting the European Parliament elections in the Ireland South constituency.

The European and local elections will take place on Friday, June 7.