With the Dublin Bay South bye-election officially set for July 8th, Epilepsy Ireland have contacted the candidates from each of the main political parties asking that they outline their support for addressing a number of key issues that are impacting on people with epilepsy within the constituency and indeed, across the country.
We recently highlighted these issues with all TDs and Senators as part of our recent National Epilepsy Week campaign.
Bye – elections traditionally present a unique opportunity to draw attention to wider national issues given that parties will be keen to add an additional seat to their ranks and indeed, given the national media will be closely following developments as candidates vie to take the seat in Dublin Bay South.
The issues we have identified with candidates are both local and national issues – affecting people with epilepsy in communities across Ireland – including in Dublin Bay South.
We estimate that there are just under 1,000 people living with epilepsy in Dublin Bay South – a significant number for any candidate hoping to secure votes when considering the personal and family connections of those 1,000 people.
The issues we have highlighted with candidates are as follows:
- Access to Free Travel
- Reasonable Accommodations during State Exams
- Sodium Valproate (Epilim) campaign
- Medical Cannabis Access Programme
- Online Safety & Media Regulation Bill
You can read more on each of these issues by visiting the 'Advocacy' section of our website.
We would encourage those with epilepsy in Dublin Bay South to please use your voice as part of this bye-election campaign and seek that candidates commit to having these issues addressed if elected – and indeed, if they can use their position as a candidate to raise awareness of these issues either via the media or with party colleagues who currently sit in either the Dáil or the Seanad.
At the end of this article, you will find a short email which you can send to the candidates that we have contacted asking that they #AdvocateForEpilepsy throughout the remainder of their campaign and if they are elected. This letter is available for download at the end of this article.
The following is the list (list arranged alphabetically by surname) of the main party candidates that we have contacted in Dublin Bay South - alongside their email address.
- Senator Ivana Bacik; Labour - Ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
- Senator Lynn Boylan; Sinn Féin – lynn.boylan@oireachtas.ie
- Cllr. Claire Byrne; Green Party – claire.byrne@greenparty.ie
- Cllr. Deirdre Conroy; Fianna Fáil - office@deirdreconroy.com
- Sarah Durcan; Social Democrats - sarah.durcan@socialdemocrats.ie
- Cllr. James Geoghegan; Fine Gael – james@geogheganvote1.ie
-
Brigid Purcell; People Before Profit/Solidarity - brigid.purcell@pbp.ie
Thank you for your support and we wish every candidate the best of luck with their respective campaigns in Dublin Bay South.
**Update**
Supportive replies have been received by:
- Senator Ivana Bacik, Labour - you can see Senator Bacik's post by visiting her Twitter page.
- Brigid Purcell, People before Profit/Solidarity - you can see Brigid's post by visiting her Twitter page.
- Senator Lynn Boylan, Sinn Fein - "I am more than happy to support your campaign and in particular the five key issues you have highlighted."