Three branches of the leftist political movement, People Before Profit, have been launched in Mayo and the party hopes to field a candidate in this constituency in the next general election.
People Before Profit is a broad alliance of left wing campaign groups and organisations and the party won 14 seats nationally in the local elections in May.
Harriet Heffernan, originally from Chicago but now living in Claremorris, is the coordinator of People Before Profit in her municipal district.
Branches have also been launched in Ballina and Castlebar.
Speaking to the Mayo Advertiser, Ms Heffernan said the group would “absolutely” be fielding at least one candidate in Mayo in the next general election.
A keen community activist who has worked in east Mayo in the past on behalf of marginalised asylum seekers, Ms Heffernan said she was initially attracted to the People Before Profit Alliance because of its bottom-up approach.
“Decisions are very much made at a local level and not dictated by national party politics,” she explained. She said the party would be addressing local issues in the Claremorris area.
Donal Geraghty, who ran in the last local election as an independent candidate, is the coordinator of People Before Profit in Castlebar.
He described it as a party “for the worker, for the ordinary person”.
He said he expects the party will appeal to people because each branch focuses on the local issues in its area.
“It is a grassroots political organisation,” he described. “The issues are what the members decide locally. So here in Mayo, for example, Mayo General Hospital and ensuring it is not downgraded in any way will be a priority.”
