GE2016 Profile: Sen Susan O'Keefe (Lab)

Name: Susan O'Keefe

Occupation: Senator, journalist

Marital Status: Married, husband Paul and three children

Priorities:

Elected to Seanad Eireann in April 2011, she is Agriculture and Tourism spokesperson in the Seanad and a member of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as well as the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions.

The Sligo-native was the only woman on the recent Banking Inquiry, and founded 5050 North West, part of the national 5050 group, to lobby for more women in public and political life. She is involved in strengthening the Irish cultural and artistic community through the advancement of the legacy of WB Yeats.

Sen O'Keefe is also very committed to the work and aims of SAFE Ireland, the umbrella organisation for domestic violence services in Ireland.
With core beliefs of equality and fairness, prior to becoming a public representative Sen O'Keefe was an outstanding campaigning journalist, whose pursuit of the truth exposed corruption in corporate Ireland.

“I want to contribute to building a fairer Ireland and a fairer Europe where working together means just that. As a member of Labour and following its proud tradition, I will continue to ask difficult questions of politicians and policy makers – whenever and wherever they need to be asked,” she says.