FORMER FIANNA Fáil deputy leader Mary Hanafin has ruled out standing for the party in the Dublin West byelection.
Ms Hanafin, who lost her seat in Dún Laoghaire in the general election in February, said there was no truth in reports that she was seeking to return to the Dáil by standing in the byelection caused by the death of Brian Lenihan.
“I wouldn’t even contemplate it – under no circumstances,” said Ms Hanafin.
Asked whether she would be interested in standing for Fianna Fáil in the presidential election, she replied: “I’m not saying anything”, adding that she had just returned from holiday.
The party is due to decide next week whether to run a candidate in the presidential election or whether it will stand back from an election it is highly unlikely to win following its disastrous performance in the general election. MEP Brian Crowley, who had wanted to stand, withdrew earlier this week, blaming a lack of support within the party leadership for an internal candidate.
Although the writ has yet to be moved, the Dublin West byelection is expected to take place on October 27th, the same day as the presidential election.
Sources within Fine Gael say the party is looking for a high-profile candidate to run in the byelection. Former world champion runner Eamonn Coghlan, who was nominated to the Seanad by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, was seen as a possibility, but has ruled himself out.
Mr Coghlan, who lives in Porterstown in the middle of the constituency, said earlier this month he was not interested in running. Pat Cox, the former European Parliament president who attempted unsuccessfully to stand for Fine Gael in the presidential election, is not believed to be interested.
Fianna Fáil is unlikely to hold the only seat it won in Dublin in February’s election. At 20, Mr Lenihan’s son Tom is too young to stand, and is said not to be interested, while Mr Lenihan’s brother Conor, who lost his seat in February, has moved to work in Moscow and says he will not be involved in Irish politics in the immediate future. Local councillor David McGuinness, who was on the ticket with Mr Lenihan earlier this year, will be seeking the party nomination. The current frontrunner is local Labour councillor Patrick Nulty; the party polled almost 29 per cent of the vote last time out, against 27 per cent for Fine Gael.
Fine Gael councillor Kieran Dennison polled over 3,000 votes and is interested in standing, although he failed to get elected to the Seanad.
The Socialist Party, whose leader Joe Higgins is a TD for the constituency, is likely to field Cllr Ruth Coppinger. Paul Donnelly is expected to stand for Sinn Féin and Roderick O’Gorman for the Greens.
