Fine Gael selects Senator John Cummins as General Election candidate in Waterford

Senator John Cummins has been selected as a General Election candidate by Fine Gael for the Waterford constituency.

Senator Cummins was selected tonight at a convention held in the Granville Hotel, Waterford, which was chaired by Minister of State with responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety, and New Market Development, Martin Heydon.

John Cummins (36) was elected as a Member of Seanad Éireann in April 2020 and is currently Fine Gael’s Seanad spokesperson on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. He is also a member of the Joint Oireachtas Housing Committee.

A University of Limerick graduate and former geography and PE teacher, Senator Cummins was first elected to Waterford City Council in 2009 at the age of 21, and served as Mayor of Waterford on two occasions (2013/14 & 2015/16).

Senator Cummins said: “I am honoured to have received the overwhelming backing of the Fine Gael membership in Waterford to contest the next General Election on behalf of the party I have been proud to represent for the past fifteen years.

“It really is heartening to receive such an endorsement. The Fine Gael team of councillors and candidates have been working collectively with my offices in Waterford City and Dungarvan to get results for people day in day out, from Youghal Bridge to Dunmore East, and I’m confident this work will pay dividend come election time.

“As party spokesman on housing, I have brought forward many initiatives which have been adopted as part of government policy in Housing for All; as well as continuously engaging with the sector to refine many excellent initiatives which have been introduced and are working for families nationwide.

“While much has been achieved in Waterford over the past decade; not least a complete turnaround in employment figures, boosted by growth in IDA (+73%) and Enterprise Ireland (+33%) supported companies, more still needs to be done in a range of areas including housing, health, education, agriculture and regional development.

“I am proud of the record €170 million investment currently taking place on the North Quays SDZ site in Waterford City, which was initiated by Fine Gael, and I look forward to continuing to work with the new Taoiseach, Simon Harris, on projects at Waterford Airport, SETU and UHW.

“If fortunate enough to be elected in the next General Election, I will continue to work hard for the people of Waterford and the South-East region as a whole.”

Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said: “I am delighted that John Cummins has been selected by members to run in the constituency of Waterford.

“John and I were both members of Young Fine Gael together and were elected to our respective councils in 2009. In that time, John has proven himself to be an exceptional public representative and I know how passionate he is about the issue of housing and balanced regional development, particularly in Waterford and the South-East Region.

“While we take nothing for granted, I believe a dynamic, diligent and enthusiastic candidate like John is well positioned to win back a Dáil seat for Fine Gael in the Waterford constituency.”