Sharon Keogan

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Senator
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan 2020 (cropped).jpg
Senator
Assumed office
2 April 2020
ConstituencyIndustrial and Commercial Panel
Personal details
NationalityIrish
Political partyIndependent

Sharon Keogan is an Irish Independent politician who has served as a Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel since April 2020.[1]

Political career[]

Keogan started out her political career on the Fianna Fáil national executive, however, having failed to secure a nomination to run for Fianna Fáil, she left the party.[2] She joined alliance of independent candidates known as New Vision. She is still part of an independent alliance of various candidates. Keogan unsuccessfully contested the general elections of 2011, 2016 and 2020[3][4] in the Meath East constituency.

Meath County Councillor[]

She was a member of Meath County Council from 2014 to 2020, representing the Laytown-Bettystown local electoral area,[5] Her sister, Geraldine, was co-opted to fill the vacancy on 8 June 2020.[6][7] although she also won an additional seat in the Ashbourne local electoral area at the 2019 local elections,[8] secured election in both the Ashbourne LEA and the Laytown-Bettystown LEA, becoming the first woman in Ireland elected to two electoral areas.[9] One of the seats had to be vacated as no member may hold two seats simultaneously. She tried to claim two State grants after her election in two boroughs.[8] She was replaced in this seat by Amanda Smith.[10] Following her election to the Seanad, her sister Geraldine Keogan was co-opted to fill her seat on Meath County Council.[11]

Senator[]

Keogan made national headlines in January 2020, after she posted on her Facebook account asking whether disabled children should be microchipped following the death of Nóra Quoirin in Malaysia.[12]

It was in the same month that Keogan's office was the subject of a suspected case of arson after she made public statements about the killing of a taxi driver in her area. Keogan speculated that her anti-drug views had also made her a target of local criminals.[13][14]

In September 2021 Keogan was criticised after she stated that there is "an organised takeover at every level in our society" by the LGBT community in response to the Katherine Zappone Affair. Keogan went on to indicate that she believed that "governments around the world" are trying to "catapult" LGBT people into high-level jobs.[15] Former Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann Jerry Buttimer responded that "She is entitled to her own opinions but she can also be asked to explain herself and to be challenged" and criticised her statement as suggesting there is some kind of on-going conspiracy and for echoing far-right sentiments. The Meath branches of the Social Democrats and People before Profit also issued statements condemning Keogan's assertations, with the Meath-based President of Ógra Fianna Fáil Bryan Mallon stated that Keogh had looked at ZapponeGate and had “added 2 + 2 together and got 5, ridiculously using it as an opportunity to dismiss the issues that members of the LGBTQIA+ community suffer daily, not least fair representation in government".[16] In a statement given to The Times, Keogan claimed she had "an established record in supporting and participating in LGBT education programmes within my community" but was "opposed to governments, whether the Biden administration or the Irish government, appointing personnel based on their sexual orientation".[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Sharon Keogan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Sharon Keogan". RTE.ie. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  3. ^ Bowers, Shauna (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Meath East results: SF tops the poll while FG's Regina Doherty loses seat; Minister for Social Protection comes in fifth in three-seater". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Election 2020: Meath East". The Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  5. ^ Donohoe, John (3 April 2020). "Sharon Keogan becomes Meath's third senator". Meath Chronicle. Navan. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Gilroy new council chairperson". Meath Live. 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Sharon Keogan". www.meath.ie. Meath County Council. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Councillor who won two seats wants two State grants". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Keogan becomes first woman in Ireland elected to two electoral areas". Meath Chronicle. Navan. 27 May 2019. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Keogan nominates Amanda Smith for second seat". Meath Chronicle.
  11. ^ "Gilroy new council chairperson". Meath Live. 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020.
  12. ^ O'Connell, Hugh (29 January 2020). "Election candidate defends call for discussion on whether children with special needs should be microchipped". Irish Independent. Dublin. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020.
  13. ^ Hennessy, Michelle (14 January 2020). "Gardaí investigate fire that 'destroyed' Meath councillor's office". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. ^ Feehan, Conor (15 January 2020). "Councillor's office firebombed after comments about shooting of driver". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  15. ^ a b Tutty, Sonja (10 September 2021). "Senators condemn Keogan's claims of 'organised LGBT takeover'". The Times. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Exclusive; Senator Keoghan Faces Calls for Her Resignation in LGBT Row". Retrieved 18 February 2022.
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