Galway West
Grealish says it’s good to talk
Independent TD for Galway West – and potential government kingmaker – Noel Grealish is willing to talk to all political parties attempting to put together a government.
The Carnmore man – who secured 7,187 first preference votes, second only to Éamon Ó Cuív – said: “I’ll talk to everybody, but there have been no calls yet. With the delays from the recounts, everybody is waiting to see how the numbers work.
“After that, it will all be about positioning, although it does look like it will be a minority Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil government.
“I’ll be willing to talk to everybody, so if I get the call, I’m ready to sit down and talk. I won’t rule anybody out,” said Deputy Grealish, who was first elected as a member of the progressive Democrats in 2002 as ‘successor’ to party founder Bobby Molloy’s seat.
Mr Molloy visited the count centre at Bailey Allen Hall in NUI Galway on Sunday afternoon, to celebrate with former PDs including city councillors Declan McDonnell, Terry O’Flaherty and Donal Lyons, as well as county councillors Jim Cuddy and Tom Welby.
Asked if the TG4/Ipsos opinion poll released last week helped get him elected, he said “it didn’t do me any harm”.
The poll had written off his chances of retaining his seat, which is believed to have rallied support for him.
“A poll that shows you in trouble helps, and a poll that shows you topping the poll doesn’t help, so it probably didn’t do me any harm.
“But when we were out canvassing, I felt there was a lot of support for me, so I was surprised when it (the opinion poll) said that I was kind of struggling.
“A lot of people might say they will vote for one person, but vote for someone else, so the only accurate poll we really had was the exit poll,” said Deputy Grealish.
He said the biggest issues facing TDs in Galway over the term of the Dáil are health and traffic.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
With half of the boxes in Galway City West tallied, the state of play in the six-seater is:
Donal Lyons (Ind) 23%
Pauline O’Reilly (Greens) 14.75%
Niall McNelis (Lab) 11.89%
John Connolly (FF) 9.86%
Pearce Flannery (FG) 9.48%
Peter Keane (FF) 7.3%
John Crowley (Soc Dems) 6.3%
Clodagh Higgins (FG) 5.9%
Salthill and Taylor’s Hill boxes being tallied now
There is a tired old cliché about people singing from ‘the same hymn sheet’ – but despite their diverse political backgrounds, it could certainly be applied in the case of Galway city’s two new TDs.
Because Fine Gael’s Deputy Hildegarde Naughten and independent TD Catherine Connolly hold common ground when it comes to a lot of issues relating to Galway city.
For example, in the aftermath of the general election they both agreed that University Hospital Galway should be moved to a greenfield site at Merlin Park. They also articulated this view on the first day of the new Dail last week.
And, separately, they were both in favour of the provision of dedicated bus lanes throughout Galway city with the acceptance that there will be no outer bypass for at least another decade. Deputy Connolly believes that the current proposal is simply “a cul-de-sac” and should never have been progressed.
Left-leaning Independent TD Catherine Connolly and right-leaning Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton, both believe UHG is at saturation point and are committed to the development of a new public hospital at the larger, more accessible site east of the city.
This, along with the promotion of public transport initiatives to help end traffic chaos in the city, is one of the common policy objectives the two new women TDs share.
They are only the second and third women TDs ever in Galway West, following in the footsteps of former Fianna Fáil minister, Máire Geoghegan Quinn.
Pressure is mounting on Galway West TD Noel Grealish to join Fianna Fail as the party attempts to be part of the next government.
The Fianna Fail organisation in the constituency are now convinced that Grealish may provide the party with the answer to winning a second seat in Galway West. And the organisation are disappointed that veteran TD Eamon O Cuiv has not delivered a second seat in the last two general elections. If Fianna Fail assume power, it is very unlikely that the Cornamona man will have a place at the front bench.
The party organisation in Galway West are now anxious that Grealish becomes part of their fabric and particularly as he is a proven vote-winner.
Grealish is part of an unofficial grouping in the Dail who are currently engaged with the two major parties with a view to forming a minority government.
The fact that the Carnmore man has been a TD since 2002, it is likely that he could be part of the front bench in the next government if he agrees to become part of the support that Fianna Fail require.
It was revealed last week that he had been approached by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to join up but he was not to be drawn on the issue.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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