Fine Gael has selected 21-year-old Luke Corkery to contest next year’s local elections in the Swords electoral area, which includes the town of Swords as well as parts of Santry, Kilsallaghan and Dublin Airport. The party’s selection convention was held in Applewood Community Centre on Tuesday night, and attended by Ministers Simon Harris and Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill, as well as local representatives Alan Farrell TD, Senator Regina Doherty, Cllr. Tom O’Leary and Cllr. Anthony Lavin. Despite his relatively young age, DCU graduate Corkery says he has experience in politics, having worked in Leinster House and having been involved in local campaigns and student activism since his school days. In his address, Corkery said: “I’ve never been more optimistic for my hometown and its future. If elected next June, I promise to bring new energy to the Council Chamber to stand up for the things that really matter to people right across what is one of Ireland’s fastest-growing towns. “I’m a commuter, dependent on unreliable bus services to get me to and from work each day amid traffic chaos. I understand the frustrations of so many others like me. We need to fast-track frequent, reliable public transport that people can depend on. “I’m a young person for whom the prospect of renting, yet alone buying a home locally, seems practically out of reach. We need more homes here in Swords, particularly the large-scale development of affordable housing like we have seen elsewhere in Fingal. It’s an absolute priority for me. “Anti-social behaviour, from break-ins to vandalism, has become all too common, and people want to see more Garda patrols out on the beat in their communities. We can by building stronger, safer communities through investment in local infrastructure and a focus on community, neighbourhood policing. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, who chaired the convention, said: “Luke is a great new candidate; we need young people and energy in politics. We’re going to work to deliver a third-level campus for Swords – a College of the Future. It’s not right that we don’t have a third-level presence in such a large area like this one. I hope everyone gets behind Luke and his campaign.” Corkery concluded: “I’m looking forward to taking my message to people across this huge town; the town I’ve grown up in and lived in my entire life. I’m ready to double down, and I’m only getting started.” Corkery hopes to win a seat on Fingal County Council in the seven-seat Swords electoral area in next year’s local elections, which take place in June 2024.