Fidelma Bennett hoping to win a Dáil seat for Labour in Longford / Westmeath

Fidelma Bennett has been nominated as the Labour candidate for the Longford-Westmeath constituency in the upcoming general election.

The Mullingar native was narrowly denied a seat on Westmeath County Council earlier this year. 

Fidelma says her involvement in politics stems from a deep-seated belief that everyone deserves a voice at the table, particularly the economically disadvantaged and those who have struggled because of the housing crisis.

Commenting on her nomination, Fidelma said: "It is an honour to be selected as the Labour Party candidate for the general election, following in the footsteps of the local political giant Willie Penrose and my late father, Jimmy Bennett, a well-known and respected Labour councillor."

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Fidelma's father Jimmy Bennett served the Westmeath County Council for 25 years. 

The Labour candidate's priorities include housing, childcare, supporting small businesses as well as issues related to women such as health and equal pay.

Policy and Education Officer for Labour, Emmanuella Jagha took to X, formerly Twitter, to share the announcement: "We (Midlands Labour) are delighted to announce the nomination of Fidelma Bennett as our Labour candidate for the General Election in the Longford-Westmeath constituency. We hope to see you soon on our canvases to talk about our Labour policies for change."

We (Midlands Labour) are delighted to announce the nomination of Fidelma Bennett as our Labour candidate for the General Election in the Longford-Westmeath constituency. We hope to see you soon on our canvases to talk about our Labour policies for change. pic.twitter.com/askhj45OSZ

— Emmanuella Jagha (@EJagha) October 22, 2024