Fianna Fáil offers Hall opportunity to run for Europe

Fianna Fáil has asked a leading mortgage arrears campaigner to consider running for the party in Dublin in the European elections.

Irish Mortgage Holders Association director David Hall confirmed he has been asked by members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party to contest next May’s elections for an MEP seat in Dublin.

Senior party figures say Mr Hall would appeal to many voters because of his work with struggling mortgage-holders. He is also a former Fianna Fáil member.

Political parties are delaying selecting MEP contenders until a review of Ireland’s new European parliament constituency boundaries is complete, which is expected at the end of this month.

Mr Hall, who lives in Castleknock, north Dublin, previously campaigned for, and was a friend of, the late Brian Lenihan, as well as a supporter of Bertie Ahern.

“I’m considering it as an option, it would obviously be a major consideration for the family,” said Mr Hall. “That’s where the real selection convention is, in the kitchen at Castleknock.”

Fianna Fáil needs to make huge gains in Dublin in the local and European elections after it failed to win a Dáil by-election in 2011 in the city, called after the death of Mr Lenihan. This left the party without any Dáil representation in the capital.

The party intends running women in at least 30% of cases for council seats, in a bid to increase female representation nationwide.

“I’m humbled after being asked to run for Europe,” said Mr Hall. “It was an informal approach by junior members of the party, no formal invitation has been made by the leadership yet.”

Mr Hall said that the issue of personal debt and mortgage arrears, as well as issues around the Anglo promissory note deal, would form part of any campaign, if he was to run.

A senior Fianna Fáil figure confirmed Mr Hall has been approached, adding: “We think he’s a strong candidate, good profile, a good speaker and he’s real Fianna Fáil.

“Mortgage debt is his thing and this is affecting a lot of people.”

The party lost one seat during the last European elections in 2009, seeing its share reduced to three of the then-12 seats.

Party leader Michéal Martin told the Irish Examiner that the party’s current MEPs, Liam Aylward (East), Pat the Cope Gallagher (North West), and Brian Crowley (South), all intend to contest next year’s elections.

Under changes agreed in Brussels, Ireland will be allocated 11 seats for next May’s European elections.