*Joe Carey TD (FG). Photograph: Joe Buckley
FINE GAEL officials in Clare remain in the dark on the political future of sitting TD, Joe Carey (FG).
So far, fourteen of the thirty five Fine Gael TDs elected in 2020 have announced they will not be seeking re-election to the Dáil. Ex Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG) and former Deputy Leader of the party, Simon Coveney (FG) are the latest big names to confirm they will not be returning to Leinster House.
Expectation is growing among party members that Clare TD, Carey will be the next to announce the intentions on his political future.
The Clare Echo has learned that Fine Gael will be holding its selection convention for the General Election in September which means a decision from Deputy Carey on his political future is imminent.
In March of last year, Deputy Carey was rushed to hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties and he has been treated for cardiac issues. He spent several nights on a trolley at University Hospital Limerick’s (UHL) emergency department before being moved to the cardiology unit.
Carey has not been in the Dáil since this health scare, missing a vote of confidence in the Government in December and also the election of Simon Harris (FG) as Taoiseach. The Clare Echo understands that Harris has not been in contact with Deputy Carey since he became Taoiseach in April.
Efforts by The Clare Echo to contact Deputy Carey for comment on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Chairperson of the Fine Gael branch in Clare, Madeline Taylor Quinn (FG) said, “our selection convention will be going ahead in the first half of September. Nominations for selection will be open to the party and everything will be clarified at that point”.
When questioned on Carey’s absence from the Dáil for sixteen months and the subsequent reduction in Clare’s TDs from four to three during this time, Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) stated, “People get sick, we’ve all been through it, when it is a long-term illness we need to give the people the time to recover, I’m not going slagging off Deputy Carey. The man is sick, the man is ill and he needs time to recover and I would afford anyone that time to recover”.
Cllr John Crowe (FG) praised the work in Carey’s constituency office while he has been on sick leave. “I feel for Joe Carey, I really feel for the man, he is an excellent TD and he has done trojan work as the Carey family have done through the years, he has an excellent office in Ennis that are dealing with queries and in turn they contact fellow TDs to make representations on behalf of their queries, it is like a family within a party working through the office which is followed up in Dáil Éireann”. He added, “People are giving them space so hopefully he will be back on his feet again”.
There is a frustration among party members and officials with the lack of information that has been communicated to headquarters to allow for a plan to be put in place as part of their efforts to retain a seat in Clare.
