Hazel Chu: I may not win a Seanad seat but I’m running for my daughter The Floating Voter

Green Party Chairperson and Dublin Lord Mayor has admitted that while the chances of her winning a Seanad seat are slim, she has put herself forward for her daughter.

Cllr Hazel Chu is in the running as an independent candidate for a seat on the Commercial and Industrial panel, having failed to secure the backing of her party.

Following her move, there has been discontent in the Green Party, with three Senators putting forward three motions before the parliamentary party meeting last night, one of which was no confidence in the Chair.

Speaking on Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Cllr Chu said that it is important for her to run for the Seanad, despite a slim chance of winning, for her daughter Alex (3).

“If I’m to be able to look at my three and a half year old in the eye and tell her that we need better representation so that people would see that this is a good thing that people from different minority groups and genders should be in government office, this is what i need to do,” she said.

“It may be a fool’s errand, but on a personal level, and on a professional level, it’s really important to me.

“A lot of my colleagues support me because of that,” she said.

She also apologised for holding an event in St Stephen’s Green for journalists yesterday, where she officially launched her Seanad campaign.

The Irish Independent reports today that Cllr Chu did not seek permission from the Office of Public Works (OPW) to hold that event and that under 1962 bye-laws, political events are not permitted in the park.

“I am very sorry,” she said.

She added that she didn’t think she would get many people to “show” up at the briefing and didn’t realise that she had to seek prior permission.

“I emailed some people, I didn't think they would show up.

“I’m happy to apologise.”