Shortall and Lyons to run for Labour in General Election
Issued : Wednesday 24 November, 2010
The Labour Party has selected Róisín Shortall T.D. and Cllr. John Lyons to run for the Party in the forthcoming General Election.
Shortall and Lyons were selected at a packed meeting of the Dublin North West Labour Party on Monday night of this week. Dublin North West runs from Beaumont in the east through Whitehall, Santry, Glasnevin North, Ballymun and as far as Finglas and Meakstown in the west. It is a three-seat constituency.
If both candidates were successful, it would be the first-time ever that the Labour Party gained two seats in a three-seat constituency.
Róisín Shortall has represented Dublin North West since 1992 and is a long-standing front-bench spokesperson for the Labour Party.
Cllr. John Lyons topped the poll in the Ballymun-Finglas ward of Dublin City Council in 2009 and will be contesting his first General Election.
Ms. Shortall said, "The recession has hit families hard with job losses, wage cuts and benefit cuts. People are absolutely sickened by what Fianna Fail has done to the country, and there is no doubt that they will be replaced in Government very soon. But it also matters who runs the next Government. A Government led by Eamon Gilmore would have very different priorities to a Government led by Enda Kenny. By running two strong candidates, we want to give the people the option of voting for a Labour led Government.
Cllr. Lyons said, "The country needs a fresh start. The focus of Fianna Fáil has been on the banks and on cut-backs, and yet we're still stuck in a recession. It's time to put the people first. There has to be a clear focus on employment to stop the rot of emigration and to offer hope to our young people."
