Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne has announced his intention to seek to contest the next General Election for Fianna Fáil in the new Wicklow-Wexford constituency. He will not now be seeking a nomination to contest June’s European Parliament elections.
Senator Byrne said: “I am very grateful to members of the party who nominated me to contest the European election but I intend to concentrate on trying to win a Dáil seat in the new North Wexford and South Wicklow area. I believe that I have worked as an effective national legislator over the last few years and would love to represent the new constituency in the Dáil after the next election.”
Senator Byrne is from Gorey while his mother comes from Arklow and he has extensive connections across both North Wexford and South Wicklow.
He added: “I have spent my life involved in organisations across our community and know the issues affecting urban and rural areas through listening to people and advocating on their behalf. If fortunate to be nominated to contest the General Election, I look forward to the campaign.”
Senator Byrne polled very well in the 2019 European Elections in the Ireland South constituency but will not contest the Fianna Fáil convention on this occasion. He concluded: “I will be supporting Billy Kelleher, MEP, who has done an excellent job, and whomever is chosen as his running mate.”
Senator Byrne is the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A graduate in Law, in Arbitration and in Governance, he worked as Head of Communications and Public Affairs with the Higher Education Authority before his election to the Oireachtas. He previously worked with Chambers Ireland, as Commercial Manager with MyHome.ie, as Director of Screen Producers Ireland and as Chief Executive of Community Games. He has completed 37 marathons.
He becomes the first candidate for any party to seek a nomination in the new Wicklow-Wexford constituency, which was formed as part of the Electoral Commission’s constituency review last year. The new three seat constituency comprises large areas of South Wicklow, including Arklow, and of North Wexford, including Gorey.
