There's much political debate today about the future – or otherwise – of Hazel Chu as Chair of the Green Party. This follows her announcement that she's to run for the Seanad as an Independent.
Talking to Hot Press in a major interview which features in our new issue and was conducted before this latest controversy erupted, Chu asked: "Can you put in I'm speaking on behalf of myself, Hazel, Lord Mayor, rather than the Chair of the Green Party? Just in case I get into trouble with my comments on bullying and diversity..."
She went on to explain: "Every party needs to say, 'Listen, we're not taking this crap. We're going to actively go out and seek people from different backgrounds and run them in elections.' That's something I've been saying to my party. It takes time but I'm kind of running out of patience."
Reminding us that, "I was one of those that was quite adamant about not going in with this coalition", she added that: "At the end of the day, I want to stay in the Greens. But, when it comes to issues like bullying, diversity and how members interact, I can't stay on forever if those things don't get fixed. And if I do leave, I will most likely go independent."
Covering a lot of both political and personal ground, Hazel also spoke to us to about shaking a leg in the RedBox to Laurent Garnier and wanting to make Dublin an all-night Mecca for clubbers; the setting up a mobile medically supervised injecting service in a bid to reduce Dublin's high number of overdose deaths; the end of Direct Provision; the fallout from the George Nkencho; the racist and sexualised abuse directed at her and her family; what social media can do to stop the trolls; the possibility of going into coalition with Sinn Féin; and answers the question we asked Leo Varadkar all those years ago – "Have you taken drugs yourself?"

Hazel Chu photos by Conor McCabe