FINE GAEL RIVALRY:SITTING FINE Gael MEP Maireád McGuinness has been ordered by her party to honour an agreement to split the East constituency with her running mate, Senator John Paul Phelan.
Under an April 20th agreement, Ms McGuinness was given Meath, Offaly, Louth and North Kildare, while Senator Phelan would have Carlow-Kilkenny, Laois, Wicklow and Wexford.
Because the Carlow/Kilkenny-based Senator has a lesser public profile party managers ruled that he and he alone would canvass and erect posters in Kildare South.
However, party headquarters heard complaints in recent days that supporters of Ms McGuinness had erected posters in the constituency, and some even further south in Portarlington, Co Laois.
Meanwhile, Mr Phelan’s camp has also been angered by Ms McGuinness’ decision to publish advertisements in the South Leinster local press 10 days ago.
“The strategy included clear and unequivocal rules on advertising, postering and canvassing. I was disappointed to find that less than two days after the party agreement came into action, my running mate had adverts in various newspapers in the South East.
“Today, I find that Maireád McGuinness posters have been erected across South Kildare and Portarlington, again contrary to the party agreement,” he said.
Relations between the two candidates have worsened as a result, with Mr Phelan accusing his running-mate of breaching “a strict boundary and vote management strategy”.
In 2004, the Louth MEP had sharp exchanges frequently with her running mate, Wexford’s Avril Doyle, though the competition helped to get both of them elected.
Fine Gael’s director of elections in the constituency, TD Billy Timmins, sided with Mr Phelan, though he said the Kildare postering may “have occurred in error”.
"If we are serious about getting two seats the dividing line has to be strictly adhered to. I have been in contact and requested that the posters be removed by close of business this evening," he told The Irish Times.
