Fine Gael Party members have announced that Helen McEntee, the Justice Minister, and Sharon Tolan, a councillor, will campaign in the Meath East constituency for the impending general election. The announcement was made during a meeting at the City North Hotel in Gormanston, Co Meath on a recent Monday evening. This adds up to a total of 36 general election representatives in 23 districts that Fine Gael has chosen thus far.
Ms McEntee expressed her gratitude for the repeated faith entrusted in her by the party to compete in her fourth general election. She further stated that it was a true honour to serve Meath East’s citizens in Dáil Éireann for over a decade. Currently, she is the only Fine Gael TD in the three-seat constituency, which also hosts Sinn Féin’s Darren O’Rourke and Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne. Securing the seventh count, she managed to garner 18.34 percent of first choice votes.
The nomination of two female candidates, according to Ms Tolan, indicates the growing trend of women’s involvement in political circles. Claiming victory in the local elections recently, she establishes herself as an assured vote earner and confident that the Fine Gael party will secure two seats in the constituency. Ms Tolan, who has served as a councillor for a decade, is the current cathaoirleach of Meath County Council. She received 1,782 first choice votes during the previous local elections, surpassing the quota of 1,681, thereby securing the first seat in the Laytown/Bettystown area.