PDs reveal pianist McNamara to bid for Dáil seat

RENOWNED musician and composer Frank McNamara was yesterday unveiled as a Progressive Democrats election candidate in Dublin South Central.

Having only joined the PDs hours before an event in party headquarters to announce his candidature, the former Late Late Show music director said he was first approached about running in the election by the Health Minister Mary Harney in January.

He rejected suggestions that living in Meath and not his election constituency would hinder his election prospects and understanding of local issues.

“It wasn’t a decision I took lightly. Most of the decisions I’ve made in my life have been done in a split second. I’m a very good decision maker, but this one has taken me three months to decide because it’s such a huge thing to do,” he said.

“When someone of that calibre [Mary Harney] asks you to do something, you take it very seriously and I did and here I am and I’m very excited by the challenge.”

Mr McNamara will contest the election, alongside the PDs’ other candidate Ben Doyle, in the five-seat Dublin South Central constituency where Gay Mitchell topped the poll in 2002. Following Mr Mitchell’s decision not to contest the election, the Fine Gael seat is a prime target for political parties hoping to make election gains.

Speaking at yesterday’s announcement, the Tánaiste denied accusations of “auction politics” and warned that the election of a “slump coalition” would result in an economic downturn.

He also defended the Government’s stance in insisting that it is not responsible for teachers who sexually abuse students.

“In relation to those who have been abused in secondary schools or in primary schools or in things like recreational circumstances like boy scout masters and the like, the state is not liable legally for the great majority of those instances. It is wrong to suggest that the State has to pick up the tab for every act of sexual abuse in Ireland,” he said.

The Tánaiste warned if compensation schemes were expanded, it would cost the Exchequer billions of euro.