A local election candidate originally from India has said “true Irish people” wouldn’t harass and intimidate her on the campaign trail. 

Supriya Singh, a Fine Gael local election candidate running in Donaghmede, said the racial abuse she has experienced in recent weeks is “extremely disheartening”. 

She said at least 27 of her posters have been destroyed since she began campaigning, eight of which were vandalised with “racist comments”. 

"Running for local election was an extension of my lifelong passion for community service,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.  

Local election candidate Supriya Singh and Taoiseach Simon Harris. Image: Supriya Singh

“I never anticipated that as the election approached my journey would become filled with harassment and bullying. 

“True Irish people would never engage in such behaviour.” 

Ms Singh noted that while canvassing, she has met several constituents who disagree with her politically – but would never attack her personally. 

Election harassment

Ms Singh said she has contacted Gardaí to investigate the vandalised posters, which have had a troubling effect on her family. 

“As soon as we were informed by the local resident my husband rushed to remove those posters and kept them in our car until 10pm,” she said. 

“We didn't want our kids to see them.” 

Ms Singh began canvassing for the election in 2022, but she said the intimidation only intensified in January of this year. 

“While putting up the posters, my campaign team, somebody came and a lady started recording a video and hurling abuses at us,” she said. 

“It was very frightening – it never happened to me before.” 

'People are still welcoming'

The Fine Gael local election candidate, originally a journalist, said she “fell in love” with Ireland when she immigrated from London eight years ago. 

“People are still welcoming,” she said. “What I have experienced in the past few weeks, it is not the reality of Ireland. 

“I cannot talk about people's mindset - they might have gotten influenced with something that's going on social media or they might have gotten influenced with the news. 

“I never, never felt anything negative until I said this, until January this year.” 

Voting for the local election takes place this Friday, along with European elections, with polls open from 7am to 10pm. 

This year’s election has the highest reported number of migrant candidates, with roughly over 100 running compared to 56 in 2019.