McElroy or Mickelson? 
10 Questions Interview - Nessa Childers
Nessa Childers is a labour party candidate for the Eastern constituency in the upcoming European Parliament Elections. She is the daughter of former president of Ireland Erskine H. Childers.
Q: What were you doing when you were my age?
A: When I was 18 I was doing the leaving certificate.
Q: How did you get where you are today?
A: I started out as a psychologist. I moved on to start my own business as a psychotherapist. At the same time I could say that I was involved in activist politics. The politician in me came out and I joined the Labour Party and was in it for three years. I then joined the Green Party and became a County Councillor in the Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown constituency. Then I resigned as a Councillor because there were family issues I had to deal with like many politicians. I was actually the twentieth Councillor to resign. However, while I was still in the Green Party, the Labour Party approached me and asked me would I go back to them and be a Labour candidate in Ireland East in the European election. It has been quite a political journey.
Q: Who was the most influential person in your life and why?
A: Both my parents were very influential on my life. I suppose my father was probably the most influential on my politics and way of thinking. And I guess since I’m a psychoanalyst, I would also have to say Sigmund Freud.
Q: What do you value most in life?
A: Of course my children and my family are very important to me. I would also have to say companionship with other people and a bit of quiet time by myself.
Q: What advice would you give to a young University Graduate from Ireland?
A: To have a very broad outlook in terms of looking for jobs because the economic situation at the moment is challenging so they should know how to market themselves. They should also try and become more aware of politics and its influence. One of the reasons we are in the situation we’re in is because people of that age group have stopped becoming engaged in politics and have stopped voting, unlike when I was your age when we were much more political.
Q: What is it like running for a European election as opposed to a local election?
A: It’s both exhilarating and exhausting. I now have to cover and campaign a territory that stretches from Louth to Wexford and from Laois to Wicklow. In my European constituency there is a population of 750,000 people so as you can imagine there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of territory to cover.
Q: What would you say is the biggest difference between focusing on a small local constituency and a European one (apart from the population difference)?
A: There are many big differences. I’m able to see the differences very clearly as I’ve gone from one to the other. Interestingly enough there’s actually been only one other person who has gone from one to the other and that was Bertie Ahern. In Local areas, I had to deal with local issues. If you were a sitting Councillor, people would know you already as you would be involved in residence associations and such. It’s much more intimate. Now that being said, in Dublin it’s less intimate than in a local area in rural Ireland where a Councillor would literally know everyone in the town. National issues are coming up everywhere in the European and the local elections. I would say what is being encountered on the doorsteps is almost identical.
Q: What made you make the jump from local to European? I know you were asked by the Labour Party to go up for election but what was your reason for going up?
A: Probably a form of madness! Well one of the reasons I went up for election was that I have always been interested in European politics and I think I’m the particular type of person that would be good as an MEP. I wouldn’t engage in what one might call tribal party politics and where possible I would try and negotiate and try to be the consensus seeker. European issues are very interesting. You know there is a huge network out there of politics. There is also a very interesting international dimension to Europe now. Another motivation that made me go up for election was that I felt I couldn’t be a public representative unless I was to do it full time.
Q: Did you find a balance between being a psychotherapist and being a politician?
A: When I had to remain a psychotherapist and be a political representative it became very difficult combined with trying to balance family life. Being a psychotherapist became increasing difficult as it would be disrupted by sudden meetings appearing out of nowhere. You had to be there for people all the time. It became obvious that if I was to become a public representative that I would have to retire and that’s what I will do.
Q: What was it like growing up in a political household?
A: The answer to that is strange because I have never known any different! Well I can tell you I had a very interesting childhood. There were hives of political and intellectual activity around me all the time. And of course the ups and downs of politics makes it a very volatile profession. You have to have a certain type of personality to like it; you have to be quite hyperactive for a start and have a grasshopper mind which my father had. It was very alive in that sense but to be honest it interfered with family life. Politics does not mix well with family life. You have to cope with parents being active and being on the go all the time. You went with them all the time - well certainly I did. You have to guard against politics taking over your life because it does.
