- Source: Liam Quaide
Liam Quaide (born 12 August 1979) is an Irish Social Democrats politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork East constituency since the 2024 general election.
Early life
Quaide grew up in Elton, rural County Limerick. He did his undergraduate at University College Cork, graduating in 2001. He went on to complete a Master of Arts (MA) in Ethical and Cultural Studies at NUI Galway and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. Before going into politics, Quaide worked as a clinical psychologist.
Political career
Quaide won a seat on Cork County Council in the 2019 Irish local elections as a member of the Green Party. Quaide stood for the Greens in the 2020 Irish general election in Cork East but was unsuccessful.
In April 2023, Quaide left the Green Party, citing frustration with the government's handling of the Owenacurra mental health facility closure. Quaide,who had campaigned against the closure, criticised his party colleagues for failing to challenge the decision, which he believed caused serious harm to vulnerable individuals. The Owenacurra Centre, located in Midleton, had been slated for closure in 2021 but remained open amid strong local opposition. Quaide argued that the government had rubber-stamped the closure despite mounting evidence that residents were being moved from single rooms to shared dorms, severing their connection to the community.
In his resignation statement, Quaide linked the government’s response to the closure with broader concerns about its treatment of vulnerable groups, including those facing homelessness and Mother and Baby home survivors. He also expressed concerns that government policies, such as those related to housing, caused social division and alienated people from the Green Party's agenda. Quaide praised Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan for her efforts in the Owenacurra Centre campaign, noting her actions were more impactful than those of several other local TDs.
At the 2024 general election, Quaide was elected to the Dáil.
Personal life
In 2012, Quaide married fellow UCC alumnus Róisín Cuddihy, whom he met in 2006 while working in Dublin. The couple returned to Cork after marrying and settled in Midleton in 2014. They have a daughter and a son.
References
External links
Social Democrats profile