Limerick councillor may not vote in Presidential Election after withdrawal of Jim Gavin

A LIMERICK Fianna Fail councillor says he is considering not voting in the upcoming Presidential Election.

It comes after his party’s candidate Jim Gavin withdrew himself from the race for the Aras after it emerged he had not returned more than €3,000 paid in error to him by a former tenant.

Newcastle West district leader Cllr Michael Collins said: “I will not spoil a vote as these are hard fought for. But I'll need to think long and hard about whether I'll vote at all. I don't think there’s anyone in the field who will suit me.”

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He continued: “A huge number of the electorate are now disenfranchised. They won't have anyone to vote for. Within our party, there are people who won’t vote Fine Gael, who won’t vote Catherine Connolly.”

There was sharp criticism from party members locally that it was only TDs, Senators and MEPs who were able to decide who would fly the party flag at the Presidential Election later this month.

Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon, president of the Association of Irish Local Government, believes MEP Billy Kelleher would have been the candidate if the grass roots had a say.

“It’s hugely disappointing. There's no way of sugarcoating it. It leaves the party in a very embarrassing situation,” was Minister of State Niall Collins’s take on it.

Senator Dee Ryan says Taoiseach Micheál Martin has questions to answer over the episode.

“The question of due diligence is the one coming up the most. I think reviewing the campaign, as it was being rolled out, there were lots of unforced errors in areas we should have been tighter on, ourselves,” she said.

Ms Ryan also questioned the wisdom of making Minister Jack Chambers director of elections when the Finance Bill is set to go through the Dail.

No-one contacted said the incident should have a bearing on Mr Martin’s leadership.