General Election: Charles Ward won’t be 'shrinking violent’ in Dáil

Charles Ward says he will shout the message of the 100% Redress party from the rooftop of Leinster House.

Ward was elected as a TD for the Donegal constituency on the final count in the early hours of Monday to take a historic seat for the party only formed in the second half of 2023.

Ward, a homeowner affected by defective concrete was carried shoulder high by supporters and party colleagues after his election was confirmed on the 16th count.

“We have to get this message to Dublin and we have to have a defective homeowner on the floor of the Dáil,” Ward said.

“When they see me on the floor on the Dáil, I will be representing every single homeowner in Donegal. I will represent every person in Donegal who feels that they don’t have a voice. It is forgotten no more. An ordinary person can get elected to the Dáil and I am that person. I will give it everything I’ve got.

“The defective concrete movement and the 100% Redress party are taking the message to Dublin: We have had enough and we want the government, whoever they are, to come end-to-end and end this misery for people.

“I will scream it from the rooftops. I will not be a shrinking violet. I will be there determined to get results and that is what we have to do. We cannot take this anymore.”

The 100% Redress party was officially formed in September 2023 in response to the defective blocks crisis, which is blighting thousands of homes across Donegal.

The party won four seats on Donegal County Council at the local elections in June when Joy Beard, Tomas Sean Devine, Ali Farren and Denis McGee were elected. Having taken over 7,000 first preference votes, there was a tidal wave of support throwing the mission towards the Dáil.

After taking 6,862 first preference votes, Ward seemed to be in a dogfight for transfers, but he swept into the fourth seat.

Ward took 39% of transfers from Mary T Sweeney, that surge of 1,318 votes on the 11th count taking him significantly up the pecking order having taken 27%, or 598 votes on the elimination of Niall McConnell on the preceding count.

A healthcare worker from Arranmore who lives in Drumkeen, father-of-four Ward ran in the local elections, but did not get a seat in the Lifford-Stranorlar area. He said he was ‘devastated’ at not getting a seat on the Council, but fought back to win a seat in the Dáil.

Mica Action Group Chairperson Lisa Hone said the possible election of Ward, whose director of elections was Eamonn Jackson, as a TD would represent an “evolution”. Ward, who works in Brentwood Manor nursing home in Convoy said: “I had faith in my ability and I had faith in the message.

“It is a heavy burden, but I am up for the fight. We have a humanitarian crisis going on and it’s not being addressed. These houses are crumbling all around us and we aren’t being heard. I will carry the fight to Dublin and I won’t stop until I get results.

“They’ve (government) got no choice now. They have to listen to us, because I’m going to be on the floor of the Dáil.

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“They’re going to see somebody who’s been affected, a 100% Redress badge on them, is affected, and they’re in the Dáil, elected by the people of Donegal because they didn’t do their job.”