Hazel Chu
Hazel Chu (born 1980) is an Irish politician of the Green Party who has represented the Pembroke electoral area on Dublin City Council since her election in May 2019, where she received the highest number of first-preference votes in the ward.[1] She was elected the 352nd Lord Mayor of Dublin on 29 June 2020, serving until 2021 and becoming the first person of Chinese heritage—and the ninth woman—to hold the position, as well as the first elected councillor of Chinese heritage in the Republic of Ireland.[1][2] Born in Dublin to parents who immigrated from Hong Kong in the 1970s, Chu was called to the Irish Bar in 2007 as the first Irish-born person of Chinese descent to achieve this milestone, though she did not practice extensively.[3][4] As of 2024, she serves as the party's spokesperson on public expenditure, infrastructure, public services, reform, digitalisation, and media, and was selected to contest the Dublin Bay South constituency in the forthcoming general election to succeed retiring TD Eamon Ryan.[5][6]Background
Early life and family origins
Hazel Chu was born in Dublin in 1980 to parents who had emigrated separately from Hong Kong to Ireland during the 1970s.[3] [7] Her family originated from Hong Kong, making her a second-generation Irish immigrant of Chinese descent.[8] [9] Her parents met in Dublin after arriving independently, establishing a working-class household.[3] [10] She grew up in the Dublin suburb of Firhouse, living with her immediate and extended family in a close-knit environment.[11] [1] Her mother, Stella Choi, operated a restaurant where Chu assisted during her youth, reflecting the family's emphasis on hard work and entrepreneurship amid economic challenges faced by immigrants.[12] [8] Chu has described her childhood as happy, shaped by her parents' determination to build a stable life in Ireland despite cultural and linguistic barriers.[7] The family later relocated to Celbridge, but her formative years in Firhouse instilled a strong connection to Dublin's working-class communities.[1]Education
Chu attended secondary school in Dublin, where she sat the Leaving Certificate examination, taking Irish, English, mathematics, history, geography, German, and biology; she was dissatisfied with her initial results and repeated the sixth year to improve her grades before entering university.[13] She enrolled at University College Dublin (UCD), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and History; she was the first in her family to complete secondary education and attend university, funding her studies through part-time work.[14][15][13] Following her undergraduate degree, Chu pursued legal training at the Honorable Society of King's Inns, completing the Diploma in Legal Studies and the Barrister-at-Law degree, and was called to the Irish Bar in 2007; however, amid the economic recession, she did not enter practice as a barrister.[15][16][13] In 2011, she earned a Master of Science in Marketing Practice from UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School.[15][17]Pre-political career
Legal training and practice
Chu pursued legal training following her undergraduate degree in Politics and History from University College Dublin. She enrolled at the Honorable Society of King's Inns, completing the Diploma in Legal Studies and subsequently the Barrister-at-Law degree from 2004 to 2007.[17][16] In 2007, Chu was called to the Irish Bar, marking her as the first person of Chinese descent to achieve this qualification.[7] Despite her qualifications, Chu did not enter legal practice as a barrister, influenced by the prevailing economic recession which limited opportunities in the field.[13][12] She instead transitioned to roles in nonprofit fundraising and communications, forgoing a career in law.[15]Activism and community involvement
Prior to her formal entry into the Green Party, Chu demonstrated early involvement in student activism and community support efforts. While studying politics and history at University College Dublin, she participated actively in college debating societies and served as chairperson of the Politics Society, fostering discussions on political and social issues.[3] To fund her education, Chu worked part-time for charities, including event roles at festivals like Electric Picnic, which exposed her to grassroots organizational dynamics and community-oriented initiatives in Dublin.[13] Her pre-membership engagement with political campaigns, beginning around 2010–2011 through canvassing efforts, reflected an emerging commitment to local issues, though this predated her official affiliation with any party.[7]Political career
Entry into the Green Party and 2019 election
Hazel Chu joined the Green Party in 2016, motivated by an interest in active politics sharpened through prior community involvement and alongside her partner, Patrick Costello, a party member who later became a TD.[11][14] She quickly engaged at multiple organizational levels, including roles that prepared her for candidacy.[14] Chu sought nomination for the Green Party in the Pembroke local electoral area (LEA) for the Irish local elections on 24 May 2019, representing Dublin City Council.[18] In a seven-seat contest, she secured 4,069 first-preference votes, achieving 33.1% of the valid poll and topping the Pembroke LEA results, which led to her election on the first count.[19][20] Her strong performance contributed to the Green Party's gains in Dublin, where it increased its seats amid a national surge for the party.[20] This victory marked Chu as the first Irish person of Chinese descent elected to local political office in Ireland.[21] The result reflected growing support for Green candidates in urban areas focused on environmental and sustainability issues, with Chu's background in activism aiding her appeal in the diverse Pembroke ward.[20]Dublin City Council tenure
Hazel Chu was elected to Dublin City Council on 24 May 2019 in the Pembroke local electoral area, securing 4,069 first-preference votes and topping the poll with 33.07% of the share, which elected her on the first count.[22] This marked her as the first Green Party candidate elected in Dublin that day and contributed to the party's national gains in the local elections.[23] During her tenure, Chu served on the Housing and Social Inclusion Strategic Policy Committee, advising the council on related policies.[24] She proposed motions including one in June 2024 calling for Dublin City Council to back a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasizing environmental commitments.[25] Chu also advocated for actions on derelict properties, noting in 2023 that compiling a comprehensive count could take up to a year, in support of council motions to utilize vacant sites for housing.[26] Chu was re-elected to the council in the Pembroke area on 7 June 2024, retaining her seat amid the Green Party securing eight positions overall on Dublin City Council.[27] Her council work has focused on progressive policies in housing, integration, and climate action, though specific votes, such as supporting the private sale of public land in 2019, drew criticism from housing advocates.[28]Lord Mayor of Dublin (2020–2021)
Hazel Chu was elected the 352nd Lord Mayor of Dublin on 29 June 2020 at the annual meeting of Dublin City Council held in the Mansion House, securing 43 votes against 15 for Labour's Mannix Flynn.[29][2] As the first Lord Mayor of Chinese heritage and only the ninth woman to hold the position since its inception in 1229, Chu's selection represented a significant step toward greater diversity in Irish civic leadership.[30][11] In her acceptance speech, she emphasized priorities including resolving the housing and homelessness crisis, promoting anti-racism initiatives, and enhancing urban livability through sustainable transport.[29][12] Chu's one-year term overlapped with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she chaired council meetings and contributed to recovery efforts as a member of the City Recovery Task Force and Community Response Team.[31] In September 2020, she convened the inaugural meeting of the Lord Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness, a cross-party group including the housing committee chair and representatives from major political parties, aimed at formulating actionable recommendations.[32][33] The task force developed a strategy document advocating for measures such as extending the eviction moratorium, establishing a youth homelessness action plan, and increasing emergency accommodation capacity, which Chu presented directly to Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien on 12 December 2020.[34] Beyond homelessness, Chu advocated for policies to curb hotel over-concentration and reduce build-to-rent developments in the Dublin City Development Plan, while launching the city's first Integration Strategy to address discrimination and promote inclusion on a statutory basis.[31] She also participated in the Garda National Diversity Forum and supported the National Night-Time Economy Task Force, including proposals for a basic income pilot for artists affected by lockdowns.[31] Chu's tenure concluded on 28 June 2021, when she handed over the chain of office to Labour councillor Alison Gilliland at the Mansion House.[35]