Irish politician
Hazel De Nortúin is an Irish politician who has served on Dublin City Council since 2016. She is a member of People Before Profit.
Early life
De Nortúin is from Cherry Orchard.[1] She attended Gaelscoil Inse Chór, an Irish language medium primary school in Islandbridge, and studied engineering at university.[2]
A fluent Irish speaker, De Nortúin is an advocate for Irish-language education and became involved in politics when she sought to address the lack of local Irish-language schooling options after her child was unable to attend the gaelscoil De Nortúin had herself attended.[2][3] This led to her co-founding Teanga Beo Naíonra, a non-for-profit Irish-language crèche in the area, with help from Bríd Smith.[3] De Nortúin later opened an Irish-language café in Ballyfermot.[2]
Political career
De Nortúin was co-opted to Dublin City Council in 2016 to represent the local electoral area of Ballyfermot–Drimnagh in place of party colleague Bríd Smith, who was elected to the Dáil.[4]
In her first election, De Nortúin retained her seat, placing second, at the 2019 Irish local elections and did so again at the 2024 Irish local elections.[3][5]
De Nortúin has advocated for greater maternity provision for councillors after having a child while serving on the council.[6]
In 2023, she made a criminal complaint against Taoiseach Leo Varadkar over his donation statements.[7] A criminal case was not progressed by the Garda Síochána.[8]
In 2024, De Nortúin was selected by People Before Profit to contest Dublin South-Central at the general election after Bríd Smith chose not to run again.[9] De Nortúin was not elected.[10]
References