Saoirse McHugh, aged 33 from Achill Island in County Mayo, is an Independent candidate running for MEP in the Midlands North-West constituency in the upcoming European elections on June 7th. McHugh has a diverse background, having worked as a cleaner, waitress, seed saver, shop assistant, farrier, and digital campaigner.
She is also an avid vegetable grower, gym-goer, and tree planter who enjoys sitting in the sun and being part of a team. Her activism spans volunteering with animal rescues, refugee assistance, and various environmental and social justice organizations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, McHugh furthered her education by completing two postgraduate degrees in Ireland's premier universities, focusing on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, particularly in the healthcare sector. This led to the development of 'The Irish Medical Cannabis Clinic' project.
She is also the founder of Ferdian Events, an international event management company that coordinates tours and festivals in Spain and Ireland.
McHugh is running with a platform that prioritizes peace, housing reform, environmental action, and tackling the cost of living crisis. She believes the European Parliament has long served the interests of large corporations, particularly polluting ones, and seeks to shift this to a focus on public welfare and environmental sustainability.
McHugh advocates for the EU to impose sanctions on Israel to stop the genocide of Palestinian people and to increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine while avoiding conflict escalation. She emphasizes that ordinary people suffer the most from warfare while weapon companies profit.
Recognizing the severity of the housing crisis, McHugh calls for the EU to intervene directly to treat housing as the emergency that it is. She supports modifying spending rules to facilitate state-built social homes, incorporating housing into sustainable planning, and regulating the short-term letting market.
McHugh proposes a common food policy to address the crises in tillage and horticulture. She highlights the contradiction between environmental actions and CAP incentives, noting the human and animal suffering involved in the current food system.
Her policy aims to plan food production sustainably to ensure affordability and ecological integrity.
With a vision for sustainable and pollution-free economies, McHugh advocates for comprehensive EU environmental policies that address climate change, nature loss, and pollution. She sees the transition to sustainability as an opportunity to tackle inequality and improve the general quality of life.
McHugh attributes the cost of living crisis to factors like war, COVID-19, climate change, and corporate greed. She supports expanding state-owned renewable energy, building affordable social housing, ensuring access to nutritious local food, investing in public healthcare and education, and improving public amenities to make leisure activities accessible and affordable.
McHugh's campaign emphasizes collaboration and community involvement as essential for fostering a better future. She draws hope from the people she meets who are committed to making the world a better place despite significant challenges.
Her campaign is a call to action for those who believe in a better Europe that prioritizes peace, social justice, and environmental integrity.