Quaide won a seat on
Cork County Council in the
2019 Irish local elections as a member of the
Green Party. In April 2023, Quaide left the Green Party, citing frustration with the government's handling of the Owenacurra mental health facility closure. Quaide,who had campaigned against the closure, criticised his party colleagues for failing to challenge the decision, which he believed caused serious harm to vulnerable individuals. The Owenacurra Centre, located in Midleton, had been slated for closure in 2021 but remained open amid strong local opposition. Quaide argued that the government had rubber-stamped the closure despite mounting evidence that residents were being moved from single rooms to shared dorms, severing their connection to the community. In November 2023, Quaide joined the
Social Democrats. At the
2024 general election, Quaide was elected to the Dáil on the 12th count in
Cork East. ==Personal life==