Bríd Smith

Bríd Smith (born 18 September 1961) is an Irish People Before Profit–Solidarity politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-Central constituency since the 2016 general election.[1][2]

Bríd Smith
TD
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyDublin South-Central
Personal details
Born (1961-09-18) 18 September 1961
Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland
Political partyPeople Before Profit–Solidarity
Other political
affiliations		People Before Profit
Websitebridsmith.net

Early life and political activism

One of seven children, Smith grew up in Rathfarnham. Her parents were prominent in the Irish Republican movement, and her father was a trade unionist. In the 1980s, Smith worked as a librarian, but was sacked for not passing a picket.[3]

In 2001, she was an ATGWU shop steward and Secretary of the Campaign Against Partnership Deals.[4] She was a spokesperson for the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign.[5] She has addressed the crowd at demonstrations, such as the visit to Dublin by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair[6] and the 2004 protests against the Iraq War.[7] Smith was a long-time campaigner on repealing the 8th amendment to legalise abortion in Ireland, and has described its repeal as one of the highs of her career.[8]

Political career

Smith first contested a general election in 1997, when she ran unsuccessfully for the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), receiving 0.54% of the vote in Dublin South-Central. She ran in Dublin South-Central again for the SWP at the following election in 2002, once again failing to be elected with 1.4% of the vote, before unsuccessfully running for the party in the 2004 local elections, placing fourth in a three seat ward with 11.76% of the vote. In 2007, she ran in Dublin South-Central for a third time, this time for People Before Profit. She received an increased share of 4.39% of the vote but once again was not elected.[9]

She was elected to Dublin City Council as a People Before Profit candidate for the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh local electoral area in 2009, and re-elected in 2014.[10] Smith was director of elections for the People Before Profit at the 2011 general election. She stood as a candidate in the Dublin constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election, but was not elected, receiving 6.8% of the vote. After the results had come in, Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins and incumbent MEP Paul Murphy suggested that Smith's candidacy had caused a split in the left vote and cost Murphy his seat.[11]

Smith was elected as TD for Dublin South-Central at the 2016 general election, on her fourth attempt at election to the Dáil.[12] On 10 March 2016, at the first sitting of the 32nd Dáil, she seconded the nomination of Richard Boyd Barrett for the role of Taoiseach.[13]

At the general election in February 2020, Smith was re-elected as a TD for the Dublin South-Central constituency.[14]

In July 2020, Smith was investigated by the Dáil Committee on Procedure for comments she made in the Dáil and online about High Court judge Garrett Simons, which were described by government TD Charles Flanagan as "an attack on democracy itself." The previous month, Smith had said in the Dáil that it was "a day when tens of thousands of workers will wake up to the realisation that a learned judge of the High Court, who earns more than €220,000 per year, has decided in his wisdom that an electrician who may earn €45,000 per year is possibly overpaid, and has then struck down a sectoral employment order that will affect tens of thousands of workers already on low pay. This is a war on workers, and it is time for workers to fight back."[15]

In July 2023, Smith announced she would not contest the next general election.[8]

Political views

Smith has criticised health cuts implemented by the government at Cherry Orchard Hospital, and organised a protest against Mary Harney, on behalf of the Save Cherry Orchard Hospital Campaign.[16][17][18] She opposed the Treaty of Lisbon.[19] She opposes the alcohol industry's sponsorship of sporting events.[2]

References
  1. "Bríd Smith". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. Cullen, Adam (5 February 2015). "Mixed reaction to new laws on cost of alcohol in bid to curb binge drinking". Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  3. "Róisín Meets: Bríd Smith 'underwhelmed' by Dáil". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  4. Moore, Kevin (1 July 2001). "'Red herrings' claim in ATGWU suspension case". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 March 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  5. Moloney, Eugene (1 September 2003). "Bin charges row set to escalate as council pursues 'get tough' policy". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  6. "Protests and praise for former British prime minister at Dublin book signing". The Sunday Business Post.
  7. Bruce, Helen (20 March 2004). "Thousands prepare to march against Irish role in Iraq war". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  8. "People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith to retire from politics at next general election". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  9. "ElectionsIreland.org: Brid Smith". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  10. O'Halloran, Marie (4 February 2011). "PBP aims to be 'significant' force". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  11. Hennessy, Michelle (26 May 2014). "Socialists slam Brid Smith for splitting Dublin vote". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  12. "Dublin South-Central". RTÉ. 2016. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  13. McQuinn, Cormac (10 March 2016). "Parties nominate their leaders to be the next Taoiseach". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  14. Power, Jack (10 February 2020). "Dublin South-Central results: Fine Gael junior minister Catherine Byrne loses seat". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  15. Bray, Jennifer; Wall, Martin (9 July 2020). "Dáil committee to investigate Bríd Smith comments about judge". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  16. Mangan, Stephen (14 September 2010). "HSE to go ahead with Cherry Orchard plans". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  17. Mangan, Stephen (22 June 2010). "Campaigners oppose cuts at Cherry Orchard hospital". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  18. "Harney pelted with red paint". Irish Independent. 1 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  19. "EU treaty opponents launch campaign in Ireland". Theparliament.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009.
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