Laois Fianna Fáil minister doesn't rule out making General Election gain at Fine Gael's expense
Minister of State Seán Fleming also expresses view on when General Election should be held
Laois TD Seán Fleming has not ruled out making a Dáil gain for Fianna Fáil at the expense of his party's partners in Government Fine Gael at the General Election.
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, where his party leader Micheál Martin is the senior Minister, also confirmed that his party has commenced the process of selecting candidates for the national poll which looks set to happen later this year.
Minister Fleming told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that his party's HQ in Dublin is sending out nomination papers to party branches around Ireland to line up its team of candidates. Nominations will be accepted by HQ until July 13.
He confirmed that he would be putting his name forward for selection in his seventh General Election. He has retained his Dáil seat at every national poll since first being elected in 1997 when his party swept to power for the first time led by Bertie Ahern.
As for what strategy his party would adopt in the new three-seat constituency, Minister Fleming said the first aim would be to retain a seat. He said a second potential target would be to win a second Dáil seat in Laois.
To do so FF would have to unseat 2020 Laois Offaly constituency poll topper Brian Stanley of Sinn Féin or win the seat being vacated by Fine Gael's long-serving TD and former minister Charlie Flanagan. Dep Flanagan is retiring from politics.
Vote transferring between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael was noticeably evident for the first time at the Local and European Elections perhaps a sign that the partnership between both groups in Government has extended to vote management.
FF and FG have also shared control of Laois County Council for over a decade. However, FG lost a seat in the 2024 election in Laois and is now the junior partner in the alliance.
Seán Fleming and Charlie Flanagan at the Laois Offaly General Election count in 2020 in Portlaoiase. Pic: Alf Harvey
However, Minister Fleming was not ruling anything out.
"If Fianna Fáil can win two of the three seats I don't care who is the loser," he said.
The TD said that no strategy had been decided upon and it was not clear if the party would even select two candidates. He added that HQ could add a candidate and also had to keep in mind gender quotas when selecting people to run in constituencies in Laois and elsewhere.
As for the holding of an election, Minister Fleming did not believe it should be held before the Budget 2025 measures are implemented via the passing of the Finance Bill and the Social Welfare Bill in the Oireachtas. He indicated that November should be the month.
Fine Gael has yet to select a candidate or candidates to run. Returned county councillors Conor Bergin and Willie Aird have been mentioned. Thomasina Connell ran for the party in 2016 when Laois was a three-seat constituency with parts of Kildare. She lost her seat in Portlaoise at the local elections.
A newly elected councillor for the Stradbally area, Vivienne Phelan, has been mentioned also as a candidate. Her local election campaign was launched by Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Minister Fleming said the Laois candidate selection convention would take place sometime after July 13 but a date has yet to be fixed.
The Castletown-based TD topped the poll in 2016 when Laois and Offaly were split for the first time. He was returned alongside Charlie Flanagan and Brian Stanley. Just six candidates ran in 2016.