Plan still in place to run a Kilkenny and Carlow Sinn Féin candidate in General Election
Sinn Féin TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Kathleen Funchion, has informed Kilkenny Live that Sinn Féin still plans to run both a Kilkenny and Carlow candidate in the next General Election.
The announcement follows the Electoral Commission constituency review that recommends that almost 6,500 people in North-West Kilkenny form part of a new North Tipperary constituency.
"I was surprised that Carlow and Kilkenny weren’t split into two independent stand-alone constituencies, given the emphasis on respecting county boundaries," she said.
"I am conscious that these changes aren’t a whole lot different, however I don’t like seeing people, who are proud Kilkenny people, now in a position where they can’t vote for a Kilkenny representative in a General Election. I think it can leave people disenfranchised and we do I think need to seriously consider that.
"Locally, we as a party have been growing in strength and numbers and the plan was always to run a Kilkenny-based candidate and a Carlow-based candidate. This won’t change.
"I would like to reassure the people in the 13 affected areas that Sinn Fein will continue to work tirelessly and be a strong voice for them as they now move to the new North Tipperary constituency."