'Laois has a strong Sinn Féin voice in Leinster House' says new Portlaoise-based Senator

Newly-elected Sinn Féin Senator Maria McCormack has vowed to be the strong female voice the people of Laois need in the Oireachtas following her bounce back win for her party in the Seanad elections.

Senator McCormack spoke her win after she was elected to the Seanad via the Labour panel on January 2. She was one of 11 senators elected from the panel and was declared elected after the 17th and final count.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be elected to Seanad. It is an honour to be standing here in Leinster House on St Brigid’s weekend knowing that Laois will have female representation in the Oireachtas.

“As well as being a strong Sinn Féin voice for the county, I will also be a strong advocate for the delivery of affordable housing, and ensure that the voices of carers and people with disabilities are heard.

“I want to thank everybody who voted for me - all the TDs, councillors and outgoing Senators. But in particular, I want to thank the thousands of people in Laois who voted for me in November’s General Election, and to everyone in Sinn Féin in Laois and republicans across the country for the support they have shown me. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald in Portlaoise with Maria McCormack when she was selected as the party's General Election candidate in 2024. Pic: Leinster Express.

“I know that for the thousands of people who voted for me that the return of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to government will be of great disappointment to them. But I can assure those voters that Laois has a strong Sinn Féin voice in Leinster House who will go toe to toe with the government from day one.

“Sinn Féin will continue to have your back, and we will work to build an Ireland that is fairer, united, and more equal; to achieve a new era where workers, families and communities come first,” she said.

Her success is a comeback win for Sinn Féin in Laois which ended 2024 with no elected representatives in the county due to resignations and a poor Local Elections performance.

A healthcare professional, Ms McCormack lives in Portlaoise where she is married with children. She contested her first election for Sinn Féin in 2024 at the local elections but did not win a council seat. She was also unsuccessful in the General Election when she was a late addition to the ticket due to the resignation of Brian Stanely from Sinn Féin. He retained the seat as an independent.

Her election brings to four the number of Laois politicians in the Oireachtas alongside the three TDs elected at the General Election. She is also the first Laois based woman to win a seat in either the Dáil or the Seanad.

READ ALSO: Laois Sinn Féin woman based in Portlaoise makes electoral history

Fine Gael's Conor Bergin could bring that number to five if he is returned from the administrative and Commercial panel after being nominated by members of his party in the Oireachtas.