Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Egan has been confirmed as a Fine Gael candidate in the local elections.

Mr Egan (32) will compete for a seat on South Dublin County Council, and will run the Clondalkin local electoral area.

Speaking today, Kenny Egan said he is “delighted to be joining Fine Gael’s team” and is “running to make a difference in my local community”.

He was welcomed into the party by Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald, who is a local TD, and his running mate Councillor Emer Higgins.

“I want to do the very best for Clondalkin, and I believe I can achieve that with Fine Gael,” Mr Egan said.

Speaking at the Louis Fitzgerald hotel on the Naas Road in Dublin where he was introduced as the candidate, Mr Egan confessed he “didn’t know much about politics or anything to do with politics” .

He said Ms Fitzgerald’s policies in relation to young people “really makes sense.”

He added: “It didn’t really matter what party it was to be honest with you.”

He said he was particularly interested in working with young people and in the realms of mental health. Alluding to his own battle with drink and drugs, Mr Egan said he had “been there, seen that, worn the t-shirt. I know about addiction is all about. I live it every day”.

Asked why he chose to run for Fine Gael, he said: “I was approached by Fine Gael It didn’t really matter about the party or the involvement. It was all about the local.”

He said that, contrary to media reports, he had never been approached by Fianna Fáil.

“My name is going to get me over the line. I’ll be out there knocking on doors all over Clondalkin,” he said, while acknowledging he may face public anger as a

Fine Gael candidate. “I’m honest in everything I do. There will be no skeletons in the closet. I’ll tell them my stories, and there are some horror stories. It’s not all rosy. We need to start educating children about the dangers of alcohol.”