Exclusive: General Election City Candidate Dee Ryan about her Campaign

First Time Fianna Fáil Candidate, Dee Ryan, discussed her campaign with the Limerick Voice.

First-time Fianna Fáil general election candidate and former Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan spoke to the Limerick Voice about her upcoming campaign, what she wants to see implemented in Limerick, and potentially becoming a new voice in the Dáil. She is one of 17 candidates for the Limerick City constituency.

Dee Ryan is a member of Fianna Fáil. The Limerick county native is running for a seat in Leinster House for the first time in this general election. Ryan will be running alongside Wille O’Dea, who has been the Limerick City constituency Teachta Dála (TD) since 2011.

Supported by her husband, Mike Ryan, and four children, Mrs. Ryan is no stranger to running in an election. The former Limerick Chamber CEO ran in the mayoral election last April, which led to her decision to try for a seat in the Dáil.  

From Business to Politics: Mrs. Ryan’s Path to Public Service

Mrs. Ryan is a University of Limerick (UL) graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in business studies, who started her own marketing business in her 20’s. “I have a very good understanding of what supports are needed for young entrepreneurs,” the candidate says.

Opening her own business gave Mrs. Ryan an interest in the Limerick Chamber. She explains that “Limerick Chamber gave me a great helicopter view of all of the investment and the impact of government policy on the region.” The former CEO of Limerick Chamber was able to meet with many politicians and have discussions with them on behalf of the Limerick business community. This led to her interest in politics.  

In 2019, Mrs Ryan was offered to be a part of the Implementation Advisory Group, a group set up by the government to review the work of mayors in other countries and recommend how a mayor’s office might be established in Limerick. “When the time came and when I was approached to know if I was interested, it was something I was very interested in,” says Mrs. Ryan.

She left her job as CEO of Limerick Chamber after five years in the role and pursued the mayoral position. In April of this year, after 10 weeks of campaigning, Mrs. Ryan came third out of 15 candidates. Speaking about running for the role of mayor, she says, “I was actually quite encouraged, because really in terms of politics I would have been unknown until April 6 when my campaign launched.”

This led the Fianna Fáil party member to decide to build on her mayoral campaign and “try and win a Dáil seat.” 

From overcrowding in hospitals, anti-social behaviour, the struggles of small businesses and the pressure on students. Mrs Ryan spoke about the main things she would like to implement or improve in the city of Limerick if she is elected in the upcoming election. She states, “I’d like to be a new, loud, effective voice for Limerick on the issues that are coming up on the doors.”

Housing 

The candidate talked about one of the major issues faced by Limerick City, the lack of affordable housing. Mrs. Ryan says, “It’s very clear from talking to people right across the city constituency, from Castleconnell to Raheen, to Ballynanty and all points in between, that there is a huge demand for affordable housing.”

Healthcare 

She then discussed the overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick and the working conditions for healthcare professionals. “The hospital is coming up everywhere as something people are concerned about,” explains Mrs. Ryan.

Long wait times in the emergency department was a major concern that the candidate discussed, as well as the stress and pressure put on the hospital staff. She says, “People are being very clear that they appreciate that the conditions that the healthcare workers are working under are very stressful and a real strain, so there’s a lot of support on the doors for them.”  

Anti-Social Behaviour 

The next point Mrs. Ryan discussed was the anti-social behaviour and crime around Limerick City. She believes that there is a need for a Garda station on the east side of Limerick City, especially in the Castletroy, Annacotty, Castleconnell, and city centre areas. The candidate is calling for “Stronger, visible community policing.”  

Business  

As the former CEO of Limerick Chamber and a business owner, support for the issues that small businesses face in Limerick is important for Mrs. Ryan. After the announcement of the 2025 budget, she explains that “Although it is right to be increasing the minimum wage, it’s absolutely necessary, I’ve spoken to my government colleagues since the Budget was published and I don’t feel we did enough for SME’s (Small and medium-sized enterprises).”

Mrs. Ryan continues, saying, “I would like to see further supports be put in place, in terms of grant directly to business owners.” The candidate speaks about the many vacant units across Limerick after the last recession, Mrs. Ryan explains “When those units go dark, they stay dark.” 

Higher Education 

Dee Ryan met with the UL Student Life President, Ronan Cahill, on Tuesday, October 15, to discuss many of the struggles faced by students across Limerick. The pair met to talk about the lack of suitable accommodation for students, the cost of studying at the university, and other strains students are faced with.

She states that: “I am really aware of the stress and pressure our students are under,” Mrs. Ryan continues, “I think that it’s important that our elected representatives are making sure we are doing everything we can do, I want to do everything I can, to make Limerick the most student-friendly city in Ireland.”

Mrs. Ryan did acknowledge the work that the colleges around Limerick are doing to create a skilled workforce for the economy and the creation of new courses, as well as the development of the campus.

She says, “That pipeline of skilled workers from an industry perspective is critical and the collaborative attitude from both UL and TUS in developing courses with skilled graduates at the end of it to suit industry needs and particular companies needs has undoubtedly been a real feature and a real factor in the success of Limerick so far.” 

Improving Limerick in the Future 

Mrs. Ryan’s final point was to discuss the importance of continuing to develop Limerick in the future. She explains, “I see the job of a TD not just to address the issues that are in front of us right now, the very serious problems from the hospital to the policing to the accommodation and cost of living, but also to be focusing on the future.”

The Fianna Fáil party member was a part of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce, a group which worked to develop offshore wind energy from the Shannon River.

Mrs. Ryan states that: “We have huge energy resources untapped on our doorstep and it will not just help us to drive a new clean green industry here in the mid-west, it’ll also help us to contribute and play our part in decarbonising across Ireland and into Europe, it’s really important for us to do.”

With no set date for the upcoming election, Mrs. Ryan will be canvassing to make her message clear and try to win a seat this year in the Dáil.