Gallagher’s late move to condemn FF

PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Sean Gallagher moved to denounce Fianna Fáil’s time in Government, less than 24 hours after he hesitated in a TV presidential debate when asked if he believed the party “had let the country down”.

The former Dragon said he abhorred the “politics that led us to where we are” and “the decisions made by previous governments where the economy was mismanaged and allowed to overheat”.

Speaking at Cork Institute of Technology where he delivered a speech on entrepreneurship, Mr Gallagher said he tried “to get back in the debate” on Wednesday night so he could clarify his position, but couldn’t due to the large number of candidates taking part.

“In my mind when I was asked to condemn Fianna Fáil, I was picturing the men and women throughout the country who are grassroots members of a voluntary political party.

“I didn’t want to condemn them because they were not in government. They did not sit in government and they did not make any decisions or policies,” said Mr Gallagher.

“I absolutely abhor the policies that have led us to where we are and the decisions made by previous governments where the economy was mismanaged and allowed to overheat, where it wasn’t built on sound financial and economic fundamentals. Of course I abhor those decisions. Not the ordinary grassroot members of the organisation,” he said.

“For that reason, I, like many others, left the party. Micheál Martin has accepted that that has happened and that’s where my position is.”

He added: “I am saddened now that there is a demonisation of the ordinary decent people of the political party, ordinary decent men and women who had no role to play in Cabinet. I draw that distinction.”

Mr Gallagher received a warm response from the hundreds of students who gathered to hear a rousing speech. He urged them to seek out a career that they would “jump out of bed every morning to do”.

During the Prime Time debate, Mr Gallagher did not appear to want to criticise Fianna Fáil, with many commentators saying he was terrified he would alienate traditional Fianna Fáil voters.

When asked if he believed the party “had let the country down”, he replied: “Fianna Fáil were in Government with other parties. At the time, they had many crises. I wasn’t in Government. I wasn’t in Cabinet. I won’t answer for Fianna Fáil. I’m sure that there were many decisions that, in hindsight, were wrong.”