Limerick businesswoman Helen O'Donnell has launched her campaign to become the first directly elected mayor of Limerick.
Ms O’Donnell is running as an independent cross-community candidate.
The election takes place on 7 June, the same day that people around the country will go to the polls in the local and European elections.
Limerick was the only city and county which voted in favour of having the office in a plebiscite in May 2019.
Voters in both Cork and Waterford rejected the proposition.
Ms O’Donnell was married to the late Tom O’Donnell, a former Fine Gael TD and MEP, who served as minister for the gaeltacht in the 1970s.
She has been involved in business in Limerick for over 30 years, running a restaurant and catering business at the city’s Hunt Museum.
Ms O'Donnell has also been active in Tidy Towns activities, in the arts, and in civic, educational and community groups.
She said this is an executive position with many challenges ahead in the first directly elected office of its type, spread over five years, with a budget of €8 million.
Her leadership strategy, Ms O'Donnell added, will be to fast track the economic regeneration of Limerick city and county and deliver better housing, transport and environmental services faster and more efficiently.
She said she believes that local authorities should not be involved in construction and development because it is too slow and too expensive.
Limerick City Green TD Brian Leddin, who was first elected to the Dáil in 2020, has also declared his candidacy, as has John Moran, former head of the Land Development Agency and secretary of the Department of Finance under former minister Michael Noonan.
Ruairí Fahy of People before Profit has also said that he intends to stand in the election.
Limerick Chamber Chief Executive Dee Ryan announced her intention to seek the Fianna Fáil nomination to be the party’s candidate for the office.
Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is in Limerick to announce that the party is to have a selection convention next week, at which Ms Ryan will be the only candidate put forward.
