Soc Dems have high hopes for TD Holly

THE Social Democrat party has high hopes for Holly Cairns, says its co-leader Catherine Murphy.

The party are celebrating a successful general election securing six seats in the 33rd Dail, and effectively doubling in size. Of its six elected TDs, four are women.

Catherine had described the election as a ‘difficult’ one for them in the context of the huge swell of support for SF which threatened to sideline them. However, it was

Sinn Féin transfers which helped many of them over the line, including Cork South West’s Holly.

The group met in Dublin on Wednesday for what Catherine described as ‘exploratory talks’.

Cahterine, who was the first candidate elected in her constituency of Kildare North, told The Southern Star: ‘This week is about some negotiations and some exploratory talks.

‘We’ll be meeting everyone, but no one is going any further than that at this stage.’

However, she insisted it was ‘way too early to be talking about any outcomes’ over who would be in government or in opposition.

‘We are only getting a bit of perspective on things now,’ she said.

The five-year-old party was set up in 2015 by Catherine, along with Roisin Shortall and Stephen Donnelly (who later joined Fianna Fáil).

Catherine naturally said they were ‘delighted’ at Holly’s election success.

‘She has a lot to bring to the table,’ she said.

Her rural background and ideas on climate and how to work on solutions with the agricultural sector would make her an attractive choice for the party’s agri role, she said.

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