* Fianna Fáil Chair Darragh McAllister, Senator Roisin Garvey (GP) and Ciara Petty. Photograph: Eamon Ward
“IT IS UP TO us when we go to the country,” a Fianna Fáil TD told the selection convention to decide on the party’s candidates in Clare for the General Election while the Green Party leader has hit back at criticism hurled in their direction by coalition partners.
No official date has been set for the General Election but political sources have informed The Clare Echo that it is increasingly likely polling day will be on November 15th.
Tipperary TD, Jackie Cahill (FF) chaired Tuesday’s selection convention for Fianna Fáil at Hotel Woodstock. He took aim at the Green Party which he described as “the third leg in the stool” of the coalition, he said he was “not a fan” of the party and added, “the Greens will get their answer when we go to the country in a couple of weeks or months”.
He added, “we’re the largest party in Govt and it is up to us when we go to the country, it is my view that we should go now, Sinn Féin are in disarray”.
Party Chair in Clare, Darragh McAllister told members, “we’re just about to start not a marathon but a middle distance race”. He said, “we can be sure we won’t have a Sinn Féin or Fine Gael Minister from Clare but we can be pretty sure if we give Fianna Fáil a chance of electing three candidates that we could have a Fianna Fáil Minister from Clare”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Green Party leader, Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman TD (GP) responded to the remarks of Deputy Cahill. “It seems we might be living rent free in the heads of a couple of our coalition partners, I’ve no doubt and I’m not surprised that we featured there because we have such a strong candidate in Clare in Roisin Garvey who I am really confident will take a seat for the Green Party, she is the deputy leader of the Green Party, she is a very good colleague and friend and I know from the reception she has got here in Ennis in the events that we’ve done across the day that people see her hard work and her willingness to listen and work with people”.
