FG dismisses Libertas hopes for Europe seat

FINE GAEL has dismissed Libertas’ election prospects, saying the party does not have enough people on the ground to canvass effectively.

Sitting MEP Jim Higgins said he did not believe Libertas leader Declan Ganley was featuring in the race to a secure a seat in the Ireland North-West constituency.

He said internal and independent polls put Mr Ganley at between 1% and 2%, which Mr Higgins said was well short of the 25% a candidate would expect to get in a successful campaign.

Mr Higgins said “there is little evidence of Libertas on the ground” within the vast boundaries which make up the North-West region. He claimed public meetings organised for Mr Ganley were not well attended and the new party was not getting across. “It is not just about billboards; it is about soldiers on the ground.”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he was not focused on any one person’s campaign, but believed Mr Ganley should not be allowed turn June’s European Parliament elections into a “proxy vote on the Lisbon referendum”.

A spokesman for Libertas said the perception the party did not have “foot soldiers” suggested Mr Higgins was out of touch with his constituency and Mr Ganley was benefiting from the help of 300 volunteers.

Mr Kenny was speaking at the launch of his party’s European campaign. He said the party’s director of elections, Phil Hogan, has issued a mandate to all party members to canvass aggressively for every seat. He said all Oireachtas members have been told, parliamentary commitments aside, they must treat the local and European elections with the greatest importance.

On the simmering rivalry between the party’s two candidates in Ireland South, sitting MEP Colm Burke and former GAA president Sean Kelly, Mr Kenny said the competition “brought out the best in Fine Gael”.

Meanwhile, Mr Kelly issued a robust defence of his friendship with ex-minister Michael Lowry. He said there was nothing inappropriate in his attending a personal celebration held by Mr Lowry and it was the Christian thing to do to stand by your friends even if you did not condone their actions.

Fine Gael’s four MEPs seeking re-election also defended their parent party in Europe, the European Peoples Party, which Ireland East MEP Máiréad McGuinness said had a proven record of driving policy in the life of the outgoing parliament. Polls suggest the party is well placed to become the largest political group in local government after the June elections, hold its four seats in Brussels and win at least one of the two by-elections.

In Dublin South it appears its as yet unnamed candidate will be taking on the son of former minister Seamus Brennan, whose death created the vacancy. Shay Brennan said he had changed his mind about running and would seek nomination for Fianna Fáil.