Ciaran Staunton in Seanad bid

A TIRELESS lobbyist for the undocumented Irish in America, Mayo native Ciaran Staunton has launched a bid to become a member of Seanad Éireann.

The Louisburgh native, who has lived in the US since the '80s, is bidding to become an Independent senator on the industrial and commercial panel in the Seanad. His aim is to be a voice for emigrants overseas and their families at home.

Staunton has long been a champion for immigration issues. He was involved in the campaigns which saw the introduction of the Donnelly Visa and Morrison Visa programmes, co-founding the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, with tens of thousands of Irish people living legally in the US today as a result.

He has also championed awareness about sepsis through the Rory Staunton Foundation, established after the death of his son Rory from sepsis following a schoolyard fall four years ago.