Outgoing TDs: Darragh O’Brien (FF), Alan Farrell (FG), Duncan Smith (Laboratory)

Who are the Dublin Fingal East candidates? Deputy Darragh O’Brien (FF), Deputy Alan Farrell (FG), Deputy Duncan Smith (Lab), Cllr Ann Graves (SF), Cllr Dean Mulligan (Ind4C), Cllr Joan Hopkins (SD), Ian Carey (GP), Manju Devi (FF), Ollie Power (People Before Profit), Margaret McGovern (Aon), Antoinette Keegan (National Party)

Dublin Fingal East was newly created following the dissolution of the old five-place Dublin Fingal in the 2023 constituency review. It includes the larger town of Swords as well as Malahide, Portmarnock, Donabate and Portrane.

Affordable housing, community services, schools and nurseries and public transport – whether the long-promised Metrolink to Swords or the need for improved commuter rail services – are among the key issues on the agenda.

There is a reasonable chance that the three sitting TDs will retain their seats in the newly redrawn constituency. Fianna Fail Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Good GaelBoth Alan Farrell’s Alan Farrell retained much of their support bases in Malahide and Portmarnock, while the same can be said of Duncan Smith in Swords.

Sinn FéinCandidate Ann Graves lost her seat on Fingal County Council in June’s local elections, only to be co-opted into the local authority after a party colleague resigned due to ill health. Graves will have an uphill battle if she is to secure a seat in the constituency, especially given Sinn Féin’s recent performance in opinion polls.

THE social democrats” Candidate Joan Hopkins had a strong local electoral vote in the Malahide district in June – some 3,272 first preferences – and constitutes something of a wild card in the race. Dean Mulligan – a former local TD and Independents4Change ally of MEP Clare Daly in the local authority – also performed well in Swords. It remains to be seen whether they – or Sinn Féin’s Graves – will be able to muster enough support to threaten the incumbent TDs.

Meanwhile, Stardust disaster survivor campaigner Antoinette Keegan is running as a National Party candidate. She said she would be a “voice for the voiceless” and was also committed to the National Party’s “pro-Irish stance” on immigration policy.

Possible outcome: Fianna Fáil (1), Fine Gael (1), Labor (1)