CORK South West Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns (pictured) is being touted as a firm favourite to take the helm of the party, after a group of activists requested a leadership election.
A letter to the SD national executive, signed by two councillors and 14 others, said that while current co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall were doing ‘exceptional work,’ it was now time to ‘move to the next stage’.
Deputy Cairns said the first she knew of the request was when it emerged in the media.
She said people were entitled to their opinion, but stressed the parliamentary party was fully behind the current leaders. ‘Catherine and Roisin, to me, are two of the most hardworking and honest politicians in the country,’ she said. ‘Within the parliamentary party there is no divide, or discussion of this,’ she said.
Deputy Cairns said being party leader wasn’t her current ambition and she was far more focussed on changing the continuing visiting restrictions in maternity hospitals.
