I was shafted by Ahern’s team, says FF candidate

A FIANNA Fáil candidate has claimed Taoiseach Bertie Ahern “shafted” her.

Mary Fitzpatrick was one of Mr Ahern’s two running mates in the Dublin Central constituency at the election. The other was his long-time ally Cyprian Brady.

On the eve of polling day, Mr Ahern’s constituency team circulated a leaflet urging voters to give the Taoiseach their first preference, Mr Brady their second, and Ms Fitzpatrick their third.

Ms Fitzpatrick received 1,725 first-preference votes; Mr Brady took just 939.

However, when Mr Ahern’s surplus votes was distributed, Mr Brady received 2,403 of them, and Ms Fitzpatrick 1,362.

Mr Brady went on to win the final seat.

In an RTÉ radio documentary broadcast last night, Ms Fitzpatrick said the Taoiseach’s team “wanted to hammer me”.

“I never thought they were going to do me any favours. I thought my insurance policy was that they needed the second seat, so I didn’t think they would go out to completely undermine me and shaft me.”

She said of Mr Brady: “He had 900 votes after 20 years supposedly of loyal service working the constituency, blah, blah, blah — and all he could deliver was 900 first-preference votes?”

The Taoiseach’s election agent Chris Wall said Mr Ahern was aware of the contents of the leaflet. But he said Ms Fitzpatrick invited the trouble by issuing her own last-minute leaflet to certain areas asking voters for their first preference.

“She was asked not to do this sort of thing,” he said.