O’Dea ‘support letter’ sparks dirty tricks claim
A letter with the minister’s signature was sent out to about 3,000 voters in Limerick West. It called on them to give their vote preference to FF newcomer Cllr Niall Collins ahead of outgoing TD John Cregan.
Mr Cregan said he was very angry, but had been assured by the Limerick East-based minister that he had not put out any such letter.
The party’s director of elections in Limerick West, former defence minister Michael Noonan, said he has ordered an immediate investigation, saying it smacked of “dirty tricks”.
However, Mr Collins insists the minister did sign the letter, which he in turn had sent out to voters.
The contentious letter was sent to about 3,000 voters in Bruff, Knocklong and Kockainey who have transferred from Limerick East to Limerick West after a revision of the boundary.
In the letter, Mr O’Dea calls on voters to support Mr Collins and then “continue” their support for Mr Cregan.
Niall Collins said Mr O’Dea agreed to sign the letter after he approached him.
However, Mr Noonan said: “Mr O’Dea totally denies sending out any such letter.
“I consider it a very serious matter for anybody outside the constituency to intrude in the affairs of West Limerick, and more particularly to look for a preference vote for any one candidate, above the other.
It is very annoying and smacks of a dirty tricks campaign. I have my suspicions but can’t say anything until anything is proved.”
However, Mr Collins is adamant that the letter seeking voter support for him came from Mr O’Dea’s office.
“This is absolutely all above board and I am not into that game,” he said.
“He signed the letter and I sent it out. His assistant Fergal O’Brien gave the signed letter back to me.”
Mr Cregan said when he raised the sending of the letter with the minister, Mr O’Dea denied having anything to do with it.
Mr Cregan said: “I am quite disappointed about this letter as I have serviced this part of East Limerick which came into the West since the last election. I was very disturbed about it and rang Willie O’Dea and he reassured me that he did not send such a letter.”
