Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Gay Mitchell has refused to rule out running for the Dáil in the next general election.
“Let’s take one step at a time,” he told reporters at the launch of his campaign in the European elections today.
Faced with a similar choice prior to the 2007 general election he opted to step down as TD for Dublin South-Central and focus on his MEP role: “I found myself to be happiest in the European Parliament.”
Asked if he was again ruling himself out as a Dáil candidate, with the possibility of a cabinet seat afterwards, he replied: “The last time that I ran for the European Parliament, people asked me would I be coming back for the Dáil and I said I’d keep my mind open. I want to be wherever I can be most effective.”
He had learned a lot from his time as MEP: “I want to put that to work in the coming term of the Parliament and let’s take one step at a time, I don’t know when the general election will come.”
Mr Mitchell said he had taken his responsibilities in the Parliament seriously: “I’m an active member of the Development Committee. People say there’s no votes in development, I wasn’t sent out there just to get votes; 11 million children a year die in the developing world - 30,000 a day. I happen to believe people here are concerned about that.”
He was also a member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
“I have been the highest attender of any Member of the European Parliament for Dublin, despite the fact that I was director of elections for the Lisbon Treaty some months ago.”
Asked about the implications for Ireland of a second No vote, Mr Mitchell said: “If we vote No again, the Lisbon Treaty cannot go ahead but Europe can go ahead and will go ahead.”
Pointing to the Schengen Agreement and the Eurozone he said: “If it doesn’t go ahead, you will find that there will be a coalition of the willing doing other things they want to do together.”
He continued: “My view is we should pass Lisbon, if we can, as soon as possible because if a Tory Government comes into office in Britain they will seek a referendum there.”
This would not benefit Ireland: “We don’t have the same agenda as the British Tories. Our interest is to be at the heart of Europe, not behind the Tories.”
Accompanying Mr Mitchell at an open-air press conference in Dublin's St Stephen's Green, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the reduction in the number of European seats in Dublin from four to three presented a “real challenge” to all the candidates and parties.
Commenting on the widespread advertising for Libertas candidate Caroline Simon, the Fine Gael leader said: “Money will not win this, this is about trust, it’s about belief, it’s about competence, it’s about an agenda, and our agenda is for a very strong Ireland to be at the heart of a very strong Europe with Gay Mitchell being central to that for us.”
