It's the only constituency in the State that does not have a Fianna Fáil TD. The election might make it the only constituency in which Fianna Fáil gains a seat. But Fianna Fáil won't be congratulating themselves on just one gain; they want two and, with some justification, reckon it can be done.
Kildare North is perhaps best known as the former constituency of Charlie McCreevy. He was a popular TD and could often be relied upon to get a running mate elected. But the circumstances of his departure for Brussels (involuntary, say his followers still) made a hames of the Fianna Fáil campaign in the 2005 byelection to replace him. Fianna Fáil lost the seat to the Independent, Catherine Murphy, formerly of the Labour Party, the constituency's first woman TD.
The Fianna Fáil solidarity that gave the party 43 per cent of the vote in 2002 evaporated in a welter of recrimination and, following the byelection defeat, party elder Gerry Collins was drafted in to knock heads together. Only the election will tell whether he was completely successful.
Despite the infighting, Áine Brady, a sister of Government chief whip Tom Kitt, fought well for Fianna Fáil in the byelection and is leading the party's challenge this time. Her running mate is Michael Fitzpatrick, a close associate of McCreevy. Because of the growth in its population, there are four seats to be fought over rather than three. If Fianna Fáil were to repeat its 43 per cent showing of 2002, it would be a racing certainty that they would take two seats in a four-seater. Indeed, they could even drop to as low as 33 per cent and still be in with a shout, especially with two strong candidates. There is still rivalry - a lot of erstwhile McCreevy supporters are working hard for Fitzpatrick - but party-infighting has delivered an extra seat before in Kildare and could do so again.
Bernard Durkan, the Fine Gael TD, fought on his own in 2002 and only survived with 135 votes to spare. This time out he has a running mate in Darren Scully who fought the byelection and did well. Scully will scoop up the votes in Naas and its surroundings and should transfer enough second preferences to Durkan to see him through. A seat for Fine Gael seems probable as long as both candidiates don't find themselves uncomfortably low in first preferences. Thousands of second preferences are no use to a party colleague who has also been eliminated.
The Labour Party seat seems to be safe.Emmet Stagg has strength thoughout the constituency, though he told The Irish Times that, as he and Catherine Murphy are "fishing in the same pond" (ie left-wing votes in Leixlip and elsewhere), he can't take anything for granted. Fianna Fáil regard Stagg and Áine Brady as the only certs.
For the most part, Fianna Fáil is targeting the seat won by Catherine Murphy in the byelection. But Murphy has a solid reputation; she is diligent and effective. Independents do well in times of dissatisfaction and there is a lot of that around in Kildare North. The population surge (up by 36 per cent) has seen school class sizes reach 35 and over. Due to space shortage, some children are being excluded from school until the age of six. Inadequate transport remains a constant irritant as with all Dublin feeder counties. Roads are choked, trains are packed. Car parking at train stations is inadequate.
Some of the strongest complaints, however, throughout the constituency, stem from antisocial behaviour: gangs of youths - up to 300 at a time in Castletown woods, for example - getting drunk, getting high and getting into vandalism. Eighty-five trees were destroyed in one estate in one night. And you'd want to think twice before complaining. Your car is damaged, your house is pelted with eggs, or worse. Some residents say the youth have nowhere to go at night; others say that there are facilities. All agree, however, that the lack of on-the-street gardaí (one of the lowest Garda-people ratios in the State) contributes to the problem. Kildare North is suffering from the downside of economic growth more than other constituencies and this, as well as the strength of the opposition, may prevent Fianna Fáil from capturing a second seat. It is very tight.
Also standing in Kildare North are Jeff Aherne for the Progressive Democrats (for whom the late Kate Walsh polled well in 2002), Shane Fitzgerald for the Green Party (which also did well in the by-election in the person of JJ Power) and Cristin McAuley for Sinn Féin which did not have a candidate in 2002. There are also two Independent candidates: Gerry Browne and Dr John F Corish.
Local Issues
• Anti-social behaviour and lack of Garda presence
• Inadequate transport facilities
• Large class sizes
• Locals priced out of the housing market
• Length of hospital waiting lists