Bríd Smith

One of seven children, Smith grew up in Rathfarnham. Her parents were prominent in the Irish Republican movement, and her father was a trade unionist. In the 1980s, Smith worked as a librarian, but was sacked for not passing a picket.{{Cite news |title=Róisín Meets: Bríd Smith 'underwhelmed' by Dáil |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/roisin-meets-brid-smith-underwhelmed-by-dail-1.2612408 |access-date=10 July 2023 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}

In 2001, she was an ATGWU shop steward and secretary of the Campaign Against Partnership Deals.{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Kevin |date=1 July 2001 |title='Red herrings' claim in ATGWU suspension case |url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/red-herrings-claim-in-atgwu-suspension-case-509129.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317165820/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/red-herrings-claim-in-atgwu-suspension-case-509129.html |archive-date=17 March 2009 |access-date=11 February 2015 |newspaper=Irish Independent}} She was a spokesperson for the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign.{{cite news |last=Moloney |first=Eugene |date=1 September 2003 |title=Bin charges row set to escalate as council pursues 'get tough' policy |url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bin-charges-row-set-to-escalate-as-council-pursues-get-tough-policy-204425.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923194910/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/bin-charges-row-set-to-escalate-as-council-pursues-get-tough-policy-25930349.html |archive-date=23 September 2021 |access-date=11 February 2015 |newspaper=Irish Independent}} She has addressed large crowds at demonstrations, such as the visit to Dublin by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair{{cite news |title=Protests and praise for former British prime minister at Dublin book signing |url=http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/protest-and-praise-for-former-british-prime-minister-at-dublin-book-signing-51503.html |newspaper=The Sunday Business Post}} and the 2004 protests against the Iraq War.{{cite news |last=Bruce |first=Helen |date=20 March 2004 |title=Thousands prepare to march against Irish role in Iraq war |url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/thousands-prepare-to-march-against-irish-role-in-iraq-war-181229.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923194901/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/thousands-prepare-to-march-against-irish-role-in-iraq-war-26013173.html |archive-date=23 September 2021 |access-date=11 February 2015 |newspaper=Irish Independent}} Smith was a long-time campaigner on repealing the 8th amendment to legalise abortion in Ireland, and has described its repeal as one of the highs of her career.{{Cite news |title=People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith to retire from politics at next general election |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2023/07/10/people-before-profit-td-brid-smith-to-retire-from-politics-at-next-general-election/ |access-date=10 July 2023 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}

Smith was the first TD to discuss having an abortion, having terminated a pregnancy in the 1980s.{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Siobhan |date=23 July 2023 |title=Brid Smith admits she was labelled a 'traitor' during political career |url=https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/brid-smith-admits-labelled-traitor-27379538 |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=Dublin Live |language=en}}

Smith first contested a general election in 1997, when she ran for the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), receiving 0.54% of the vote in Dublin South-Central. She ran in Dublin South-Central again for the SWP at the following election in 2002, once again failing to be elected with 1.4% of the vote, before unsuccessfully running for the party in the 2004 local elections, placing fourth in a three-seat ward with 11.76% of the vote. In 2007, she ran in Dublin South-Central for a third time, this time for People Before Profit. She received an increased share of 4.39% of the vote but once again was not elected.{{Cite web |title=Bríd Smith |url=https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=4293 |access-date=10 July 2023 |website=ElectionsIreland.org}}

She was elected to Dublin City Council as a People Before Profit candidate for the Ballyfermot–Drimnagh local electoral area in 2009, and re-elected in 2014.{{cite news|first=Marie|last=O'Halloran|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0204/breaking29.html|title=PBP aims to be 'significant' force|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=4 February 2011|access-date=11 February 2015|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023174954/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0204/breaking29.html|url-status=live}} Smith was director of elections for the People Before Profit at the 2011 general election. She stood as a candidate in the Dublin constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election, but was not elected, receiving 6.8% of the vote. Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins and incumbent MEP Paul Murphy suggested that Smith's candidacy had caused a split in the left vote and cost Murphy his seat.{{cite news|first=Michelle|last=Hennessy|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/paul-murphy-brid-smith-1484987-May2014/|title=Socialists slam Brid Smith for splitting Dublin vote|work=TheJournal.ie|date=26 May 2014|access-date=11 February 2015|archive-date=22 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822071551/http://www.thejournal.ie/paul-murphy-brid-smith-1484987-May2014/|url-status=live}}

Smith was elected as TD for Dublin South-Central at the 2016 general election, on her fourth attempt.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/constituencies/dublin-south-central/|title=Dublin South-Central|work=RTÉ|year=2016|access-date=1 March 2016|archive-date=2 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302043036/http://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/constituencies/dublin-south-central/|url-status=live}} On 10 March 2016, at the first sitting of the 32nd Dáil, she seconded the nomination of Richard Boyd Barrett for Taoiseach.{{cite web|first=Cormac|last=McQuinn|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2016/parties-nominate-their-leaders-to-be-the-next-taoiseach-34529069.html|title=Parties nominate their leaders to be the next Taoiseach|work=Irish Independent|date=10 March 2016|access-date=7 April 2016|archive-date=17 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417230606/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2016/parties-nominate-their-leaders-to-be-the-next-taoiseach-34529069.html|url-status=live}}

At the 2020 general election, Smith was re-elected as a TD for the Dublin South-Central constituency.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dublin-south-central-results-fine-gael-junior-minister-catherine-byrne-loses-seat-1.4165262 |title=Dublin South-Central results: Fine Gael junior minister Catherine Byrne loses seat |date=10 February 2020 |first=Jack |last=Power |newspaper=Irish Times |location=Dublin |access-date=5 June 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210605095324/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dublin-south-central-results-fine-gael-junior-minister-catherine-byrne-loses-seat-1.4165262 |archive-date=5 June 2021 }}

In July 2020, Smith was investigated by the Dáil Committee on Procedure for comments she made in the Dáil and online about High Court judge Garrett Simons, which were described by government TD Charles Flanagan as "an attack on democracy itself". The previous month, Smith had said in the Dáil that it was "a day when tens of thousands of workers will wake up to the realisation that a learned judge of the High Court, who earns more than €220,000 per year, has decided in his wisdom that an electrician who may earn €45,000 per year is possibly overpaid, and has then struck down a sectoral employment order that will affect tens of thousands of workers already on low pay. This is a war on workers, and it is time for workers to fight back."{{cite news |last1=Bray |first1=Jennifer |last2=Wall |first2=Martin |title=Dáil committee to investigate Bríd Smith comments about judge |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/d%C3%A1il-committee-to-investigate-br%C3%ADd-smith-comments-about-judge-1.4300563 |date=9 July 2020 |access-date=12 April 2021 |publisher=Irish Times |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807101708/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/d%C3%A1il-committee-to-investigate-br%C3%ADd-smith-comments-about-judge-1.4300563 |url-status=live }}

In July 2023, Smith announced she would not contest the next general election. In January 2024 she was selected by People Before Profit to contest the 2024 European Parliament election for the Dublin constituency.{{cite news |last=Matthews |first=Jane |date=24 January 2024 |title=Bríd Smith among 3 People Before Profit candidates announced for European elections |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/brid-smith-europe-elections-6280445-Jan2024/ |work=TheJournal.ie |location= |access-date=24 January 2024}}{{Cite web|title=Candidates for European Election|url=https://dublincountyreturningofficer.com/index.php/2024-european-and-local-elections/128-nominations-euro-2024 |access-date=27 April 2024|website=Dublin County Returning Officer}} Smith received 21,577 (5.7%) first preference votes but was not elected.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/elections-2024/results/#/european/dublin|title=European Elections: Dublin|work=RTÉ News |access-date=15 June 2024}}

In 2010, Smith criticised health cuts implemented by the government at Cherry Orchard Hospital, and organised a protest against Mary Harney, on behalf of the Save Cherry Orchard Hospital Campaign.{{cite news |last=Mangan |first=Stephen |date=14 September 2010 |title=HSE to go ahead with Cherry Orchard plans |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2010/0914/1224278818472.html |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024060911/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2010/0914/1224278818472.html |archive-date=24 October 2010}}{{cite news |last=Mangan |first=Stephen |date=22 June 2010 |title=Campaigners oppose cuts at Cherry Orchard hospital |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0622/1224273029981.html |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923194859/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/campaigners-oppose-cuts-at-cherry-orchard-hospital-1.681299 |archive-date=23 September 2021}}{{cite news |date=1 November 2010 |title=Harney pelted with red paint |newspaper=Irish Independent |url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/harney-pelted-with-red-paint-2402516.html |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204095609/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/harney-pelted-with-red-paint-2402516.html |archive-date=4 December 2010}} In 2009 she opposed the Treaty of Lisbon.{{cite web |title=EU treaty opponents launch campaign in Ireland |url=http://www.theparliament.com/no_cache/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/eu-treaty-opponents-launch-campaign-in-ireland/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012182410/http://www.theparliament.com/no_cache/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/eu-treaty-opponents-launch-campaign-in-ireland/ |archive-date=12 October 2009 |work=Theparliament.com}} In 2015 she opposed the alcohol industry's sponsorship of sporting events.

Smith opposes sanctions on Russia amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that they "severely hurt the Russian people" and comparing them to the sanctions levelled against Iraq after the Iraq War.{{Cite web |last=Quann |first=Jack |title=Bríd Smith defends not applauding Volodymyr Zelenskyy: 'It's not a mortal sin' |url=https://www.newstalk.com/news/its-not-a-mortal-sin-brid-smith-defends-not-applauding-volodymyr-zelenskyy-1329388 |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=Newstalk |language=en}}

Smith has expressed support for migrant workers in Ireland, discussing the 50,000 migrant workers in Ireland's health service and 27,000 in construction and asking "where would we be without them?"{{Cite web |date=31 May 2024 |title=Ireland needs migrant workers, says Smith |url=https://dublinpeople.com/news/business/articles/2024/05/31/ireland-needs-migrant-workers-says-smith/ |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=Dublin People |language=en-IE}} She has called the European response to the migration crisis "shameful".{{Cite web |last=Bolton |first=Michael |date=19 May 2024 |title=Dublin MEP candidate says European response to migration is 'shameful' |url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublin-mep-candidate-says-european-response-to-migration-is-shameful-1626521.html |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=BreakingNews.ie |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|bridsmith.net}}

{{Dublin South-Central (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Brid}}

Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:Members of Dublin City Council

Category:Members of the 32nd Dáil

Category:Members of the 33rd Dáil

Category:21st-century women Teachtaí Dála

Category:People Before Profit–Solidarity TDs

Category:People Before Profit TDs

Category:People Before Profit local councillors