Kenny hails Forde defection as major coup

LEADING councillor Deirdre Forde’s desertion of Fianna Fáil was yesterday hailed as a major coup for the opposition by Enda Kenny.

The Fine Gael leader welcomed into his party the former chairperson of FF’s National Councillors’ Forum on the steps of Leinster House.

Ms Forde denied her decision to switch sides was prompted by the parachuting into her electoral area of Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin’s twin brother, Padraig.

She claimed it had been prompted by growing unhappiness with Fianna Fáil’s direction in recent months.

Ms Forde, first elected to the Carrigaline electoral area of Cork County Council in 1999, wished her former party colleagues well and said some of them had indicated personal support for her decision.

Mr Kenny insisted the defection was symbolic of what he called the tide turning against Fianna Fáil. “It is a telling comment on how Fianna Fáil are taking the country in the wrong direction and are making bad decisions that are unnecessarily hurting the wrong people.

“Deirdre is a very welcome addition to the Fine Gael ranks and I wish her all the best as she joins our local government team on Cork County Council,” said Mr Kenny.

“When faced with the reality of a Government that wasn’t listening to the people and was making bad decisions that hurt the wrong people, Cllr Forde decided to make a change.

“She recognised the strength and focus of the Fine Gael team... both locally and nationally, and decided that being part of that team was the best way for her to represent her electorate. I wish her well as she gets ready for the upcoming elections in June,” he said.

Ms Forde said the Government was moving in a direction she was not happy with.

“The budget in October was the first time that this really struck me when I saw the attempt to take the medical card off OAPs.

“Subsequent decisions on education supports for special needs children and the provision of cervical cancer screening for teenage girls confirmed for me that the wrong people were being asked to pay the price for a faltering economy,” said Ms Forde.