Gogarty considers running for Dublin mayor

THE Green TD best known for a foul-mouthed outburst in the Dáil is considering running for the Dublin mayoralty.

Dublin Mid-West TD Paul Gogarty confirmed yesterday he would be interested in the job.

The people of Dublin are to elect a mayor directly for the first time under legislation brought forward by Green leader and Environment Minister John Gormley.

He expects the legislation will be finalised within months and the election will take place in the autumn.

Mr Gogarty made headlines last December after shouting “F**k You” at an Opposition TD in the Dáil. Footage of the incident became a hit on YouTube. He is the only one of the six Green TDs not to have served in a ministerial position.

Mr Gormley and Eamon Ryan are senior ministers, Mary White and Ciaran Cuffe are junior ministers, and Trevor Sargent was a junior minister until earlier this year.

Mr Gogarty said the Greens would not hold a convention to select their candidate for the mayoralty until July, but said, “I would be interested.”

He said he would roll out a campaign over the summer to “engage with citizens” about the election, saying he wanted to “talk to Dubliners” about their expectations for the mayor.

“I will run a frugal campaign but concentrate on engaging with people directly: face-to-face on the streets of Dublin from Ballybough to Stepaside, and online at the website http://mayor4dublin.ie, which I will be launching shortly,” he said.

“The mayor can bring huge value to the citizens of Dublin through better delivery of waste, water, transport and planning services.

“I believe that the Green Party has excellent policies in these areas and can offer voters a real vision for how Dublin can be run better.”