Derek Nolan ‘looking for a new job’ on Monday

Derek Nolan, who has conceded defeat before the first count in Galway West, says he doesn’t want the public’s pity.

The Labour Party representative, who topped the poll in 2011, has seen his first preference vote plummet by about 40%, according to tallies.

Deputy Nolan said he would be looking for a new job on Monday.

“I have to pay the rent. There are a whole load of practical things I have to look at. I’m now searching for a new job. I’m a qualified solicitor and have a Masters in human rights,” he said.

Deputy Nolan said he took the brunt of the criticism levelled at the Government.

“I was in a crowded space. I was being attacked. I was the target of so many, for so long, it became very difficult to cut through the lies and the negativity,” he said.

The city-based candidate said that at the beginning of the campaign, he sensed the party would hold onto the Labour seat first won by Michael D Higgins. But the tide went out in the last 10 days of the campaign.

Labour lost about 2,000 votes in Galway West in the final week of the campaign, he sensed.

He said: “I think we were affected by the national swing against the party. I think the two parties, Labour and Fine Gael, ran on a ‘let’s re-elect the Government’ platform. The public listened to that for a week of the campaign. When the campaign really got going they said ‘actually no, we don’t want to re-elect the Government’. That’s what happened but they didn’t actually decide what they did want to do.

“They didn’t decide they wanted overwhelmingly Fianna Fáil or they wanted overwhelmingly Sinn Féin. The two Government parties lost about 20% but Fianna Fáil went up 5% and Sinn Féin went up 5%. So there wasn’t a huge swing to one opposition party.”

Deputy Nolan said there is a future for Labour in Galway West.

“I don’t expect anybody in any way to feel sorry for me. Hundreds of thousands of people have found themselves in the exact same position as I am today. I’m not unique and I don’t want anybody’s pity. I was privileged to represent Galway West and I’d like to thank the people who showed such courtesy to me,” he added.