Creighton denies she’s a ‘political tease’

Former minister Lucinda Creighton has insisted she is not a "political tease" after downplaying talk of setting up a new party.

The ex-Fine Gaeler turned Reform Alliance TD denied reports that she was recruiting for a new party, but insisted she did not want to be a “sole trader” on the political stage either.

“I am certainly not a tease. I’m not teasinganybody, I’m working and discussing with all sorts of people,” she told RTÉ.

“I take my politics very seriously, and I take the prospect of offering something new to the Irish public very, very seriously at the next election.”

The former Europe minister, who lost the Fine Gel whip after rebelling against X-case legislation, said she was still determining how she could work with other political figures to push forward her social and economic views.

“All I can say is that I am very much inclined to try and find a way to work with others and to put something before the Irish people that they can see as being different from the existing political parties, that they can see as offering them a new vision for the country,” said Ms Creighton.

Whip of the technical group of independent TDs in the Dáil, Catherine Murphy, denied the organisation was engaged in a “Stop Lucinda” agenda to prevent the former minister joining its ranks.

Ms Murphy said the group was expecting legal advice this week on whether TDs such as Ms Creighton, who were elected while part of other parties, could join its ranks.

The TD said the group was trying to establish ground rules on how it would function if its membership increased in that way.