Taoiseach Simon Harris is to appoint disability campaigner and motivational speaker Nikki Bradley to the Seanad to succeed former Seanad leader Regina Doherty who won a European Parliament seat in Dublin for Fine Gael.
Ms Bradley is a disability advocate and a survivor of Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 16. In 2022 her leg was amputated as a result of the condition.
A motivational speaker, she has work with some of Ireland’s leading disability organisations including Active Disability Ireland, The Disabled Drivers Association, of which she is a board member, and The No Barriers Foundation.
The Taoiseach has put disability as one of his priorities during his tenure and the appointment is expected to give a voice for people with disabilities in Leinster House.
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Ms Bradley is from Co Donegal which has no female TDs in the Oireachtas, and could be a prospective Fine Gael candidate in the general election to hold the seat being vacated by Joe McHugh, who has said he won’t stand.
She has a website The Motivation Factory, and is the founder of Fighting Fit for Ewing’s which raises awareness about the disease and encourages participation in physical challenges.
The Donegal native engages in significant physical challenges, including becoming the first crutch user to climb four Irish mountains in less than 32 hours in 2018.
She has climbed the Solheimajokull glacier in Iceland, The Sturrall sea cliffs in Donegal, which she abseiled off, and trekked through the Brecon Beacons in Wales, relying on crutches for each challenge.
The new Senator will have just this week and next in the Upper House before it goes into recess for the summer.
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