Ó Cuív pushes the ordinary people line

FIANNA FÁIL has to “represent the ordinary people of Ireland” going forward, Social Protection Minister Éamon Ó Cuív said as he made his pitch for the leadership of the party.

Mr Ó Cuiv — grandson of Fianna Fáil founder and former Taoiseach and President Éamon de Valera — announced his candidacy on Saturday.

“I have a certain view of what the party should stand for, has stood for, and speaking of what it should stand for in the future, I believe it has to represent the ordinary people of Ireland, their values and their expectations,” he said.

Mr Ó Cuív, 60, has been a TD since 1992, and was appointed to cabinet in 2002 when he was named Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Last year he was promoted to the Department of Social Protection, overseeing a plethora of welfare cuts in the December Budget.

He was campaign manager for Fianna Fáil in the recent Donegal by-election, in which the party’s candidate was soundly beaten. In that campaign he likened Fianna Fáil to the Catholic Church and the GAA as institutions which were under attack.

“There are those who want to get rid of the Catholic Church, the GAA and Fianna Fáil. I won’t speak about the other two but they won’t get rid of Fianna Fáil,” he declared.

Mr Ó Cuív represents Galway West where he has topped the poll on the last two occasions. But he also has connections to Dublin, as he was at pains to point out yesterday, given that Fianna Fáil’s TDs in the capital will have a large say in the outcome of the leadership battle.

Mr Ó Cuív was born and reared in Dublin and was educated in Mount Merrion and then UCD.

He insisted last night that a number of TDs had already promised him their support.

His constituency colleague, Frank Fahey, confirmed that he would support him as will Galway East TD Micheal Kitt and Sligo TD Eamon Scanlon.