Annie Hoey enters the election race
BEAMORE woman Annie Hoey has entered the race for a seat in the Laytown/ Bettystown electoral district on behalf of the Labour Party.
A well-known national political activist, Annie (30), led 345,000 students as President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in 2016-2017, campaigning successfully to increase the maintenance grant and halt increases to student fees.
In 2018 the Beamore woman played a key role in the campaign to repeal the 8th amendment as the National Canvassing Co- Ordinator for Together for Yes.
She also worked at a senior level in the campaign to re-elect Michael D. Higgins, serving as Director of Volunteers for the successful grassroots campaign.
“I studied and worked in Cork and Dublin for a number of years and my fiancé Dan and I hope to buy a home and start a family here in East Meath. I love the community I am from but it can do better. My track record of activism and campaigning for change demonstrates that I know how to get things done,’ she stated.
“Young people like me are struggling to buy a home in the area and too many are trapped by unaffordable rents. The Laytown-Bettystown area has been waiting too long for its new primary health care centre, for a modern public library and other important services. Childcare is prohibitively expensive and childcare workers do not have the pay and conditions their skills demand.
“Commuting costs to Dublin are outrageous and I intend to run a ‘Fair Fares’ campaign to deliver more affordable transport for commuters from Laytown and from the Drogheda area.”
She declared her campaign will be about fighting for the future and ‘ delivering the kinds of high quality public services a heavily populated area like East Meath should take for granted.
“I want to see the new Educate Together second level school built as a matter of urgency. I want to see an urgent focus on public and affordable homes and I will campaign for an enterprise hub in Laytown-Bettystown and co-working space to reduce unsustainable commuting levels and promote a better work-life balance.
“As a proud former member of Droichead Youth Theatre, I can see a clear need for an arts and performance space in East Meath to give young people the opportunity to experience the arts.
“The 2019 local election can be a turning point for the area and for my generation and I am very much looking forward to the campaign.”
Senator Ged Nash remarked, “Annie’s election to Meath County Council would represent a sea-change in terms of politics and activism in Meath and we will be working hard over the next few weeks to make that change happen.”
The daughter of Raymond and Elizabeth (nee McCormac – originally from Piltown), Annie has two sisters, Sarah and Emma.