Clare political activist and co-founder of the Clare Leader Forum, Ann Marie Flanagan, has announced her intention to run for a position in Seanad Éireann. Seanad elections will take place after the next general election, which is expected later this year or early in 2025.
Ms Flanagan has secured the nomination of the nominating body Independent Living Movement Ireland, with almost 80% of that group voting to select her as a candidate to be a Senator.
After an unsuccessful bid to become a Senator during Covid 19 lockdown in 2020, Flanagan gained national attention earlier this year for her outspoken opposition to the Care Referendum.
“Everybody knowns that I am a political activist. I have contested local elections and if I had the resources to contest a General Election, that is something I would also consider,” she said.
“I was honoured in 2020 to be put forward by the Independent Living Movement Ireland, which is a nominating body, to run for the Seanad. This time there was a membership election, and 77% of the membership put me forward as their candidate.
“Disabled people and other minority groups are always on the outside. We are always depending on the goodwill of elected representatives to understand what our needs are and to insure that policy and legislation include us.
“The next Dáil needs to be much more representative of society. I have done my time addressing the issues of inequality, social exclusion and marginalisation. That, combined with my own lived experience means that I am an excellent person for the role of a Senator.
“In the role of Senator, the people who elect me will be councillors, TDs and Senators.
“So it is really important that I work to bring forward legislation and policy, and have the opportunity to review budgets and contribute to legislation.
“To really bring forward an analysis of legislation from the point of view of people who are aften forgotten about, whether that be disabled people, older people, people who have mental health issues, people who just don’t have a voice. They are the people who I have worked for my whole life.”
Having been successful in her opposition to the Care Referendum earlier this year, Flanagan believes a sea change in the attitude that politicians have towards people with disabilities is needed.
“There was a few narratives that I found really concerning [in the Care Referendum].
First of all, the idea of having a particular constitutional reference to people with disabilities. That highlights the level of ableism in the political system and in society,” she said.
“The constitution already is supposed to protect people’s human rights, we are all supposed to be treated equally before the law. Any amendment needs to include disabled people. If you look at Repeal the 8th, that included all women, including disabled women. We live in a deeply ableist society. A lot if it is unconscious, people don’t realise that they are doing it, but in my opinion there is an urgent need for a very strong, disabled activist, to become a politician, and to challenge the systemic ableism that is there.
“Every policy needs to be seen through the lens of the human rights of people with disability. Realistically, we know that this can only be achieved by a person with that expertise.”
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.