FORMER Ireland South MEP Liadh Ní Riada said she will speak in Irish in all her dealings in the Seanad if she gets elected to the upper house of the Oireachtas next month.
The former Sinn Féin MP and daughter of musician and composer Seán Ó Riada, who currently works as director at the Ionad Cultúrtha an Dochtúir Ó Loingsigh in Ballyvourney, has been nominated as an independent senator by Foras na Gaeilge to represent them on the five-seater Educational and Cultural panel.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Liadh said she will be running as an independent candidate but admits it could be a tough challenge without a party backing. ‘I just decided I’d give it a go. If I’m lucky enough to secure a seat, then that would be great. If I did get an opportunity to take a seat in the Seanad I think I would be able to do a lot for the Irish language,’ said Liadh.
‘I think the Seanad is a place where one has a lot more discussions going on than the Dáil and you can get work done there quietly as well.’
As a committed Irish speaker she said she never spoke English during her time in the European Parliament and doesn’t intend to do so in the Seanad if she gets elected.
‘I hope that other parties will support me. I’ve never fell out with Sinn Féin either and I hope they will support me,’ she added.
‘It would make it much easier having the backing of a political party.’
She added that she also hopes to get support from any party regardless of politics as long as they are as passionate about the Irish language as she is.
‘I have a very clear remit and I will be there to represent Foras na Gaeilge and I will be there to move the Irish language front and centre.’
Liadh was first elected as an MEP for Ireland South in 2014 but failed to retain her seat in 2019. She also ran unsuccessfully as a presidential election candidate in 2018.
Sinn Féin had been hoping that she would have stood for the party in Cork North West in last month’s general election but she announced that was stepping away from politics last year and the party fielded Nicole Ryan in her place.
