CORK South West TDs Holly Cairns and Christopher O’Sullivan are no longer in a relationship.
Deputy Cairns (SD) disclosed their break-up in a recent podcast where she also said that her name had recently trended on Twitter because ‘of criticism for being married to Christopher.’
‘We never married, he’s my ex-boyfriend,’ she clarified.
‘I think it’s very gendered – a lot of people pointed out that his name was barely mentioned, and I’m trending in Ireland for being married to him which isn’t true,’ she said.
The TDs attracted considerable attention when they found themselves running against each other in the last general election.
When Deputy O’Sullivan’s name was added to the FF ticket at the last minute, Deputy Cairns said she felt she was in a ‘badly written rom com.’
She also previously said that the interest in their relationship, had at times, been difficult.
In the podcast, she spoke of a new style of politics emerging in Ireland, which she feels people are ready for. She said Irish politics had not kept up with Irish people.
She said she certainly wanted to get re-elected, but not just for saying what people wanted to hear.
‘I’d rather not get re-elected, than not do what I perceive to be the right thing, which is sometimes saying things which don’t keep everybody happy.’
She also spoke of her offer to ‘pair’ with Justice Minister Helen McEntee when she’s on leave having had her baby.
This is when different parties in the Dáil agree to both abstain from voting when one of the TD’s can’t be there.
It’s the last thing someone needs to be worried about when starting or growing a family, she said.
‘I’d expect someone to offer the same for me if it was the other way around. I don’t think it’s a big ask, it’s a reasonable and fair thing to do,’ she said.
Deputy Cairns was also vocal on the topic of climate change: ‘Farming and coastal communities will be the biggest hit by climate change but as a result of a political narrative they are the most resistant and scared of climate action. That is as a result of a false narrative consistently pushed out in my opinion by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.’
