ACKNOWLEDGING the news that former Social Democrats leaders Catherine Murphy TD and Roisin Shortall TD are stepping back and will not contest the next general election, West Cork-based party leader Holly Cairns took the opportunity to pay tribute to their work.
‘Catherine and Róisín are trailblazers in Irish politics and have accomplished an incredible amount in careers that spanned decades of committed political work and dedicated public service,’ stated Ms Cairns, who said she would not be in politics were it not for former leaders’ decision to set up the Social Democrats.
‘Their commitment to public service, belief in the possibility of a fairer society and dedication to strictly adhering to social democratic principles were, and are, an inspiration to me and many others,’ she said.
‘They leave behind a party with strong roots, huge promise and great potential. Having nearly doubled our number of councillors in the recent local elections, I am determined to continue to build on that success and grow our number of TDs in the forthcoming general election,’ the deputy continued.
‘I’ve said before that taking over the leadership of the party meant that I was stepping into, not one, but two, very big pairs of shoes, and I will be eternally grateful for their generosity, support and guidance behind the scenes,’ concluded the Skibbereen-based Deputy Cairns.
