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Disgruntled in Raheny
Read more about: Dublin North East, Fianna Fail, Seanad
We should have noted this before* since it’s been brewing for a while but Fianna Fail are in the midst of an increasingly high-profile selection row in Dublin North-East. In a move dictated by HQ, they are going with just two candidates, Michael Woods and Martin Brady, leaving longtime local player Senator Liam Fitzgerald out in the cold. Fitzgerald was a TD for the constituency from 1981 to 1997 and has been in the Senate since then. He apparently has the full support of the local organisation for another run, but they were denied any say in the matter and have responded accordingly as Thursday’s Irish Times reports –
All the outgoing officers of the constituency organisation stepped down at a meeting in the Marine Hotel in Sutton on Monday night. More than half present left before the two candidates selected, Michael Woods and Martin Brady, could address the meeting.
Senator Fitzgerald said he totally supported the outgoing officer board of the constituency. He said the Taoiseach’s decision to ignore the democratic process had copper-fastened a pattern whereby the democratic character of the party had been diluted and diminished.
“His acceptance of the selection methodology is unacceptable and dangerous and has led to a despotic process. I am left with no alternative but to resign from the parliamentary party led by such a leader. His behaviour is cavalier and unprincipled,” said the Senator, who emphasised he had not resigned from the party organisation.
The same IT story notes the unhappiness of FF Senator Margaret Cox towards the government’s attitude to the water crisis in Galway, but whether that blows up into a serious electoral issue for them in Galway remains to be seen.
*UPDATE: Apologies to Dan and Cian, who had raised the issue in comments on this thread.
They tried the same thing in South tipp with Martin M, last time. He may well be a lovely chap, salt of the earth and all that.
But the whole thing smacks of estate management (old style).
Err.. we did note it
http://www.irishelection.com/03/split-worries-for-west-cork-fianna-fail/#more-1378
I can well see Fitzgerald running as an independent. And you know he could just get elected. And some background to Cox’s decision has to be the promotion of cllr. Crowe a one time independent who is now a FF candidate in Galway West.
All these people in fianna fail seem to care about is power. The same kind of carry-on went on down here and in Cork also.
Considering how they spend as much if not more time bitching amongst themselves as to who will run for election, than on actual issues it is startling how these people managed to be re elected last time around.
Oh great, one non-entity is or is not going to be replaced by another. When was the last time that Brady or Fitzgerald said or did anything that mattered? Both are born back bench material through and through.
The amazing thing is that Michael Woods remains on the ticket. He is another non-entity, but at least was a Minister, albeit one that did the infamous compensation sweet-heart deal with the religious orders that will cost us, oh, a billion or so. Now he’s an ex-Minister and about as credible and useful as Donnie Cassidy’s hairpiece (at least it gets some press coverage).
What is depressing is that Woods will get re-elected. DNE deserves what it gets sometimes, we really do.