McGuinness to stand in general election

Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness has confirmed she is to stand in the Louth constituency in the next general election.

A spokeswoman for Ms McGuinness confirmed this afternoon that she plans to contest the next election. A full statement is expected in the morning.

Ms McGuinness, who was elected MEP for Ireland East in 2004, joins four current TDs who have already announced their intentions to run in the constituency: Dermot Ahern and Seamus Kirk, both Fianna Fáil; Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd; and Sinn Féin's Arthur Morgan. Dundalk town councillor Mark Dearey will also run for the Green Party.

Ms McGuinness serves on the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, Budgets and Petitions Committees. She is also a member of the Inter-Party Groups on Disability and Children's Rights.

Before becoming a politican, Ms McGuinness was a journalist and broadcaster, working with the Irish Farmers Journal and RTE. She presented the FBD Farm Show on LMFM, and the TV series Ear to the Ground and reality TV show Celebrity Farm, both on RTE.