O’Brien not yet decided on Dáil run

RE-elected councillor Patsy O’Brien has said he is not yet considering a run for the Dáil.

The Robeen-based Independent was speaking to The Mayo News after he topped the poll in the five-seat Claremorris Local Electoral Area (LEA) with 2,739 first preference votes.

Cllr O'Brien put himself forward for selection to run for Fine Gael in the 2020 general election but lost out to Alan Dillon, Michael Ring and Michelle Mulherin.

When asked if he would consider running for Dáil as an Independent, Cllr O’Brien said that he was ‘not making any decisions’ on the matter.

Despite complaining about the lack of Oireachtas representation in the South Mayo area, Cllr O'Brien declined to say whether or not he would contest the next general election. The current government is due to complete its maximum five year-term next year.

“When I started off in politics first it [Mayo] was two three-seaters; it was evenly divided. You had three seats in the west, you had three seats in the east, at the moment, we only can say we have one in the east, and that is in the Minister Dara Calleary. From there to the bridge in Shrule hasn’t Oireachtas level of representation.

“It’s not for Patsy O’Brien. It’s maybe for him to consider, but there’s lots of people that can consider and will consider that tonight, and there is lots of people that’s considering it. It’s wide open, I don’t know what would happen. There’s a reason that I put myself forward, whether that reason comes live again or not, time that will tell,” he told The Mayo News

Reflecting on his decision to run for selection for Fine Gael in 2020, Cllr O’Brien said that he ‘felt strong’ about the lack of Dáil representation in South Mayo. This, he said, was partly due to parts of the county being in the five-seat Galway-West constituency, with the rest of Mayo being part of the four-seat Mayo constituency.

All of Mayo was made part of a five-seat Mayo constituency in the most recent redrawing of electoral boundaries.

“We felt strong, and I felt by putting my name forward in relation to it. I didn't get the support, but bear in mind if I got 27 or 28 more votes, I would be on that ballot paper. That's for another day,” Cllr O'Brien said.

“I'm a democratic, I took what I got and I dealt with it. And I dealt with everybody, and I'm a proud man tonight, I'm a proud man for my area, I'm a proud man for my family, and above all I'm a proud man for every single person that put a ballot in with my name.”

NO DÁIL FOR DUFFY

ELSEWHERE, Independent county councillor Mark Duffy has declined to state whether he will run for the Dáil in future.

“I haven't thought past June 7,” said Cllr Duffy, who got 2,325 first-preference votes in the Ballina Local Electoral Area.

“What I tried to do is work with the community and grassroots and using my position as a conduit to enable people's voices to be heard. I haven't thought any further than this local election.”