AN INDEPENDENT councillor in South Dublin is to be announced as Fine Gael’s latest local government member today.
Independent councillor Gearóid O’Keeffe, who represents the Stillorgan ward on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, is to join Fine Gael after six years on the council.
He will be officially unveiled by party leader Enda Kenny this afternoon.
Mr O’Keeffe first ran for the south Dublin council in 1999, but was narrowly defeated by Progressive Democrats candidate Fiona O’Malley.
He topped the poll and secured a seat for the first time in 2004, and was re-elected on the first count in 2009.
Born in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, Mr O’Keeffe has been living in the Stillorgan ward for over 40 years. He is married with a son.
Mr O’Keeffe was called to the bar in 1986, but is now full-time in politics. He has voted with the Fine Gael party on most issues before the council in the last few years.
Most recently, he tabled a controversial motion, along with five Fine Gael councillors, which initiated moves to increase retail zoning at a retail development in Carrickmines off the M50 and simultaneously reduce retail zoning at Cherrywood, also off the M50.
The controversial vote had countermanded a direction from Minister for the Environment John Gormley that zoning at Carrickmines should not be increased.
Last night Fine Gael and Mr O’Keeffe declined to comment on his move pending today’s official unveiling.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown independent councillor Victor Boyhan said he was sorry to be losing a political colleague.
“I had no idea Gearóid was considering such a move, so it did come as an absolute surprise to me,” he said.
