Waterford Fianna Fáil Director of Elections says Billy would have been better candidate
"If it was up to me, it would have been Billy," says O'Leary (left) as Jim Gavin (right) steps down from presidential election after scandal.
John O’Leary, Fianna Fáil councillor for County Waterford, said that he is "disappointed that Fianna Fáil won’t have a candidate in the race".
He added, “My choice would have been Billy [Kelleher].”
This follows Fianna Fáil presidential candidate Jim Gavin’s decision to step down from the race.
Fianna Fáil is the largest political party in the country, yet hasn't had its presidential candidate win an election since Mary McAleese in 2011. There is now no chance of a Fianna Fáil president until 2032.
Gavin said he decided to step down after considering the "potential impact of the ongoing campaign on the well-being of my family and friends".
On Saturday, the Irish Independent reported that Mr Gavin owes a former tenant €3,300.
Cllr. O’Leary, who was director of elections for the past three general elections for Fianna Fáil in Waterford, said that while Fianna Fáil’s decision to choose populous candidates has worked in the past, "not this time".
He added that, “as a grassroots councillor, people make better politicians and representatives when they go through the system.”
Jim Gavin, a former Dublin football manager, had not participated in politics until this year.
O’Leary said that “Councillors should have some say [in who gets chosen as the Fianna Fáil candidate], if that had been the case, Billy would have certainly been on the Fianna Fáil ticket.”
O'Leary believes that the wider Fianna Fáil party should have a say in who gets nominated.
MEP Billy Kelleher was a Fianna Fáil TD for 22 years and a Minister of State for four years.
Cllr. O’Leary said that the decision of the parliamentary party to nominate Jim Gavin was to increase the party’s popularity in Dublin.
He said, “We are always trying to strengthen the party in Dublin, and Jim Gavin would have been ideal for that.”
However, O’Leary diplomatically said that Micheal Martin “shouldn’t be judged for Gavin’s mistakes”.
He said, “As leader of Fianna Fáil and Taoiseach, he gets it right 95 percent of the time.”
