Constituency: Wicklow

Joe Behan has lived all his life in Bray. He trained as a primary school teacher and spent most of his career in St Fergal’s Senior NS, Bray. He was principal in St Joseph’s NS in Dun Laoghaire and at St Fergal’s. He retired in November 2015 to devote himself fully to the role of public representative. The Bray West councillor was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD from May 2007 to February 2011 and has been serving as an independent county councillor since May 2014. A Fianna Fáil councillor from 1999 to 2007, he resigned from his party in 2009. This is his fourth bid for the Dáil as an independent. He has helped many people in their dealings with local and national government and assisted many voluntary groups. He believes “there is a desperate need for the voice of the people to be heard in Dáil Éireann.”

John Brady is the Sinn Féin spokesperson for youth and integration. A member of Wicklow County Council from 2011-2016, he was elected a TD for Wicklow in 2016. As a “strong opposition voice for Wicklow”, Mr Brady said he is working hard “to end the neglect of the county” and push for key infrastructural projects, including an upgrade of the rail line and essential N81 improvement works. Housing, he believes, is the number one issue affecting people, and in Wicklow people face the highest house prices and rent prices outside of Dublin. He and his party are committed to bringing “bring home ownership back into reach for working people” and aims to deliver affordable rental homes. The health service, and the lack of access to dental and GP services, is another key area for Mr Brady, who said Wicklow communities are “struggling” in this regard.

Rob Carry is a business owner and community activist living and working in Wicklow. A former journalist, Rob graduated from UCD with a degree in History and Politics before completing a Masters in Journalism. After a ten-year media career, Rob went into business. He runs BLOC Gym, among other businesses. A life-long martial artist, Rob founded Jai Sua Martial Arts in Bray in 2014. It is now one of the biggest clubs of its kind in the country. The club is a key hub for community activity with discounted training for adults and teens with additional needs, free women-only self-defence classes and free mental health services for all members. Rob has fundraised extensively for charities like Breast Cancer Ireland, homeless charity Five Loaves and Medical Aid for Palestine. He is heavily involved in campaigning for free mental health services for young people.

A former Fine Gael county councillor for ten years, Mr Cullen controversially lost out at the Fine Gael selection convention held last month to Taoiseach Simon Harris and Cllr Edward Timmins. He has since left the party to run in the general election as a non-party candidate. He sat on Wicklow County Council and Wicklow Municipal District for a decade before this summer, choosing not to run for another local term so he could instead focus on the general election. He stated: “My ten years serving on Wicklow County Council helped me gain huge knowledge and I know this experience, together with my role as a company representative across the county, backed with my deep farming and sporting roots, makes me well positioned to secure peoples highest preference vote across the constituency.”

Stephen Donnelly is currently a TD for Wicklow and the Minister for Health since June 2020. He hails from Delgany and has represented the constituency since 2011, when he was first elected to Dáil Éireann. Mr Donnelly entered politics after a career in the private sector that included working as a mechanical engineer and later as a management consultant. A graduate of University College Dublin with a degree in mechanical engineering, he also worked and studied in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has also completed a Master’s Degree in Public Administration in International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Philip Dwyer from Tallaght was previously an Ireland First candidate for the Dublin constituency at the 2024 European elections and was also a candidate in the Tallaght Central LEA in the recent local elections, failing to be elected on both occasions. He also unsuccessfully contested the 2020 general election as a member of the National Party. He says one of the reasons he is running in Wicklow is after encouragement from Newtownmountkennedy residents opposed to the accommodation of international protection applicants at Trudder House.

Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was elected to the role of Taoiseach on April 9, having previously served as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science from 2020; as Minister for Health from 2016 to 2020; and as Minister of State at the Departments of Finance PER and Taoiseach with Special Responsibility for the OPW, Public Procurement, and International Banking from 2014 to 2016. His involvement in politics began after he established an autism support and lobby group to seek to give a voice to people living with autism and their families and to articulate their concerns and needs. He has always remarked on his passion for Wicklow and brings to the Dáil and to his constituents “energy, youth, new ideas and a voice in government for County Wicklow”.

Ciarán Hogan is an entrepreneur, with two successful businesses and a background in commercial piloting. He says he is dedicated to making Ireland safe, prosperous, clean and restoring high trust in society and our government. Mr Hogan was inspired to become politically active after seeing Peadar Tóibín taking a “strong principled stand against establishment parties”. Among his key priorities are the lack of housing, health service waiting lists, poor mental health investment, crime and antisocial behaviour and the cost-of-living crisis. A revamp of the health service is one of the main concerns, as primary care services are on “the brink of collapse”, and mental health services, are “an Eircode lottery”. On immigration, Mr Hogan believes the Government has created “chaos”, by its refusal to engage with communities and “has sown anger, confusion and suspicion”.

Michaela Keddy, a student at Bray Institute of Further Education, is from Newtownmountkennedy and is a candidate for National Alliance who made a "last-minute decision" to run because "Ireland is suffering tremendously and I am tired of feeling helpless about it". She advocates free speech, is against "the globalisation of the country" and stands for the "protection of Irish national sovereignty and the Irish identity".

Charlie Keddy, from Kilcoole, finds himself “compelled” to run once again for election, as he believes “no one else represents my opinions”. Mr Keddy, who turned 80 this year, has been participating in elections since 1991 without ever being successful. His first outing was with Labour and he has subsequently run as an independent candidate in a total of nine local and national elections. His manifesto, he says, is to help stop abortion, corruption and home tax and he is an advocate for free healthcare.

Deputy Steven Matthews is a BSc graduate of DIT Planning and Environmental Management, who served an electrical apprenticeship with Irish Rail prior to becoming a TD. A Bray Town councillor in 2008, he was elected to Wicklow County Council in 2014 and 2019 and was Cathaoirleach of Bray District in 2016 and 2019. He has worked extensively on protecting our natural environment, on climate action, inappropriate development and improving public spaces and public transport in Wicklow. Among his top priorities are: ensuring Wicklow’s growth is sustainable for our economic, environmental and societal needs; being a leader on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss; seeing more publicly owned lands available for the provision of affordable, good quality, well designed, energy-efficient housing; reducing traffic congestion and commuting time on the N11 and N81; planning our towns for sustainable growth; and investing more in public open spaces.

A healthcare worker for more than 13 years, Kellie McConnell has lived in Wicklow since 2017 and describes herself as “an incredible advocate for ordinary people and inclusive communities”. Recently, she has been actively campaigning to end homelessness with the Community Action Tenants Union, working with United Against Racism Wicklow, and North Wicklow Against Genocide. As a general dentist and eco-socialist, she has a strong understanding of the issues in healthcare, housing and the climate crisis. She has worked with community groups on Palestine solidarity campaigns, anti-racism, housing rights, abortion healthcare and animal rights. She maintains a strong left-wing party is needed in government and among her key priorities are to re-distribute wealth and develop quality public services. People Before Profit will advocate for a strengthening of Irish neutrality and put an end to moves to draw us closer to NATO.

Cllr Paul O’Brien is the current Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council. First elected in 2019, he has also held the position of Cathaoirleach of Wicklow Municipal District. He contested the 2020 general election and will rely on that experience to aid his current campaign. From Wicklow town, he is passionate about his local community. Wicklow town hasn’t had a TD since Labour’s Liam Kavanagh in 1997 and Cllr O’Brien is hoping to change that. “One of the main issues I want to bring to the forefront is the need for more affordable housing,” he says. “Within Wicklow Municipal District, we have met our social housing targets, but affordable housing schemes are still required to help people get onto the property market, especially young families who are squeezed out by the prices on the private market.”

Hailing from Kerry Pike in Cork, Sean O’Leary ran in eleven constituencies in Kerry, Cork and Dublin during the 2020 election. During that campaign, he used a hospital trolley and campervan to canvas, aiming to highlight issues with healthcare and homelessness. He also sought to reduce carbon emissions and pollution and improve public transport. He is believed to be a businessman and father-of-six, but has kept his campaigning close to his chest for 2024.

Cllr Gerry O’Neill is from Blessington and was first elected to Wicklow County Council as a Sinn Féin representative in 2014. A party dispute saw him run successfully as an Independent in the 2019 elections. He also topped the poll in 2024 as an independent candidate for Baltinglass MD. Cllr O’Neill was a founding member of the Blessington and District Forum and is Chairman of the Crooksling Hospital Action Group and a coach of Blessington Boxing Club. The lack of housing in west Wicklow is one of the main issues he wants addressed. He has also been leading calls for improvement and upgrade works to the N81 and has highlighted housing issues in the west of the county. Cllr O’Neill feels that west Wicklow is often forgotten about and it’s time for a fresh and new voice in the Dáil. “I am not a ‘yes’ man and have no fear in representing the views of the people of Wicklow, and I am not under the control of any party whip,” he said, adding that he will “be a truly independent voice”.

Dominic Plant is an IT and GDPR Manager based in Manor Kilbride. Mr Plant is running for the Dáil for the first time having contested the 2014 and 2024 local elections. Local issues include a need for an improve public transport service, while calls have been ongoing for many years seeking upgrades works to the N81. One-off planning for locals living in the area can also prove problematic. Housing remains a burning issue, both for social and private housing. The provision of more local jobs has also become a campaign issue and would help prevent so many workers having to commute elsewhere for job purposes.

Cllr Edward Timmins has been a member of Fine Gael since the 1980s and has been an elected member of Wicklow County Council since 2004. Born and raised in Baltinglass, he is the son of the late Godfrey and brother of former TD Billy. He graduated as an engineer from TCD and studied and worked in France, Germany and Switzerland, before returning to Ireland and qualifying as a chartered accountant. Cllr Timmins was elected as Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council for 2017-18 and is the current Cathaoirleach of Baltinglass Municipal District. He says he possesses “vast experience in the workings of the council and our county” and “extensive business experience as an engineering graduate and chartered accountant, having worked for many years in senior finance roles in small companies and multinationals.” He hopes to use this experience “to deliver for Wicklow at a national level.”

Jennifer Whitmore is a TD for Wicklow with a background in ecology, marine science and environmental law. Before entering politics, she spent 10 years in Australia as a senior policy analyst alongside government ministers, developing environmental law, water management and energy policy. She also spent several years working with the Marine Institute as a scientist. She has served as the chair of the Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy and has called for a fully publicly funded childcare and early education service. Since her election in 2020, Deputy Whitmore has campaigned on local issues such as the shortage of school places, delays in the development and expansion of school buildings, the need to improve and expand public and school transport across the county, childcare costs and access to health services.