Holly Cairns: 'It does affect your personal life, there's no doubt about it'
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Cork South West Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns has spoken honestly about the personal toll being a TD has taken, confirming her relationship with Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan has ended.
In an interview with the , the highly-rated debutant TD, who has fought loudly for women’s rights in the 33rd Dáil, speaks out about the need for more women at the top level of politics, doing battle with Micheál Martin and suffering abuse online.
#SocDems @HollyCairnsTD was named political newcomer of the year on RTÉ Radio 1's @LatedebateRTE (listen from 41.15).https://t.co/8ZIDUSwzT2 pic.twitter.com/HNiGL2RB6o
— Social Democrats (@SocDems) December 22, 2020
About the personal toll of the job, she said she has barely seen the people who helped get her elected because of the nature of the job.
“It definitely takes its toll. Throughout the election, you really ask so much of the people in your life. People really go above and beyond for you and you don't have time to give that back,” she said.
“My mum, aunts and uncles, my dad ... everybody gives you so much, and because of the pandemic, I have barely caught up with him since. It has been so so busy.
"So, it does affect your personal life, there's no doubt about it. It's like a way of life rather than job that you sign up to, a vocation,” she added.
Ms Cairns, the only female TD in all of Cork city and county’s 18 Dáil representatives, said the absence of women at the top decision-making table has been evident in some of the poor decision-making during the pandemic
“If there had been more women at that decision-making table, then issues such as partners being let into maternity hospitals or the issue of maternity leave for female representatives would have been addressed,” she said.
“Women aren't represented in the same ways, I am the only female TD or senator for all of Cork, city and county.
"It's no wonder that a lot of the issues that I find myself involved in the first term have been in relation to maternity restrictions during the pandemic, and issues around domestic violence, and then a mother and baby homes issue,” she added.
Ms Cairns, chosen by several commentators as the TD of 2020, has described the “deep frustration” she has had to deal with in getting people to accept her in her own right.
“So the opposite was true in my case. I was obviously quite passionate about my politics – we [Christopher and she] came into politics from very different place. He was co-opted ... when he was 21 or 22.
"He had a canvassing team for every box in the constituency. I'd started completely on my own from scratch with a presumption that I'm the one you need to doubt the authenticity of. That is always the narrative and it is really frustrating,” she said.
“I've never let it affect how I do my job but I am still accused of it. For example, my first day on the council we elected a mayor, [O'Sullivan]. I didn't vote for him. I don't vote for Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil and I feel quite strongly about that. But there's still a narrative that I'm the one who's authenticity you need to doubt,” she said.
Confirming that Mr O’Sullivan is now her “former partner” Ms Cairns referred to a recent Twitter storm where she was trending on foot of something her ex had said.
“Around the election, we certainly weren't prepared for the media storm that took place. Since then, it's sort of continued quite a lot in that it often comes up.
"I often get – I was about to say we often get asked about it – but actually I often get asked about it. That's the reality. Like the Twitter storm recently, I think when my name was the most trending thing for 24 hours.”
It's incredible, the only time his name was mentioned was when it was, why am I getting all of the abuse for somebody else's beliefs. Why did my name trend for somebody else's beliefs. And I think that just kind of epitomises the kind of misogyny that we're still dealing with,” she said.
In 2020 I spoke in the Dáil over 60 times. Here are a few of the highlights👇 pic.twitter.com/Tdd4XWrBaj
— Holly Cairns TD (@HollyCairnsTD) January 1, 2021
“And I suppose it also is a kind of a broader point that it is this 'cancel culture'.
Ms Cairns, who is 31, said it's actually helpful for society that we have become so polarised. “Social media is much more amplified version of reality, but it is a metaphor for what we're moving towards and I think it's something that we need to really look at and actually think about,” she said.
Ms Cairns, who has made the running for her party on major issues in the Dáil like the mother and baby homes debacle, State funding for greyhound racing and maternity rights for elected representatives says she is “not daunted” in going toe-to-toe with Micheál Martin.
“I suppose it’s never my intention to get under his skin [which she has done on occasion] and I do get nervous before going on TV. But I don’t get daunted and think there is the Taoiseach. He is a person from Cork and I am just trying to get answers,” she said.