Réada Cronin to contest Kildare North once again for SF

There was considerably less drama for Sinn Féin in Kildare North last week as TD Réada Cronin has been selected by the party, and local membership, uncontested, to stand again in the next general election.

Sinn Féin members locally thanked the popular TD for her work output, especially in the critical areas of housing, health, disability, education, special education, and animal welfare and on the Climate Committee, Equality Committee, and Defence and Foreign Affairs Oireachtas Committee.

Deputy Cronin’s work on legislation in the regulation of electricity and gas standing charges, a ban on winter disconnections, on streamlining Garda vetting, on statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and her upcoming Bill on Animal Welfare, to establish a Register of Convicted Animal Abusers were praised by members.

Deputy Cronin described her first term as a “baptism of fire” but said it had been privilege to represent the people of the constituency.

“I hope to be re-elected so I can continue to make life work better for people in their access to decent housing, healthcare when they need it, assessments of needs for their son or daughter, and incredibly in 2024, making sure there’s an actual childcare place, school-place and a school bus for their child or children.” Deputy Cronin said she was looking forward to getting the chance to campaign on Sinn Féin’snew housing, health and childcare policies.

“Life is short, and it is for living. But that life is too difficult for too many simply because they can’t get the essential services they need. People are spending their whole lives waiting, for example, losing their children’s childhoods on housing lists or watching them writhing in agony, struggling to breathe waiting for an operation for scoliosis. This is not about money, it’s about government priorities.” She added: “It’s fair to say my constituency office is often a support and comforting service as much as anything, with people just at the end of their tether. Not being in government, often all we can do is listen and people are grateful for that because they say the current government who have been there a very long time, overseeing chaos in housing, public spending, health, disability, and education, just don’t care.”