Law Society nominates Deirdre Burke as Seanad candidate

The Law Society of Ireland has nominated Deirdre Burke as a candidate for Seanad Éireann.

Ms Burke, a solicitor and founder of children’s charity The Guardian Project, has been nominated as an Independent candidate in the National University of Ireland constituency and is also the Law Society’s sole nominee on the Cultural and Educational Panel.

In her manifesto, she wrote: “I’ve spent my life as a parent and a solicitor working to support and empower Children, Families and Communities, and promoting the principle of Social Justice.

“If elected to the Seanad, I will use my voice as an advocate for Children’s Rights, and for Children and their Families. All Government policy should be assessed on how it impacts on children, families and communities.

“The Seanad can be a positive platform for examining and influencing government policy and legislation in this way, and my legal background has equipped me for both scrutinising and framing such legislation.”

Her manifesto priorities include further reform of the family and child law system to cut court waiting times and train more family judges, and adequate resourcing of the court system.

Ms Burke has also proposed a review of “the countrywide closure of courthouses, and centralisation of court offices” and a review of the way the Legal Aid Board operates.