Senator Sharon Keogan has confirmed she will contest the East Meath constituency in the next General Election.
The Duleek-based independent says growing support for candidates outside the main parties has encouraged her to make the move from the Seanad to the Dáil.
She backed the recent fuel protests and has argued that farmers, contractors and motorists are under increasing pressure. She also believes people in Ireland are paying too much tax and recently called in the Seanad for the Universal Social Charge to be scrapped, saying it was only ever meant to be temporary after the 2008 crash.
Senator Keogan did not contest the November 2024 General Election, saying the timing did not suit, and instead ran for the Seanad, where she was elected as an independent on the Industrial and Commercial Panel with support from councillors across the country.
She said she intends to run in the next election and believes her track record will stand to her. She pointed to her work with independent councillors nationwide and said voters respond to those who listen and represent their views.
First elected to Meath County Council in 2014, she made history in 2019 by becoming the first woman in Ireland elected in two different local electoral areas. She also became the first independent female councillor elected to Seanad Éireann.
In East Meath, she is expected to compete for a seat currently held by independent TD Gillian Toole, who is part of the Regional Independent group supporting the Government. The constituency is also represented by ministers Helen McEntee and Thomas Byrne, along with Sinn Féin’s Darren O’Rourke.
