Dad will certainly be a hard act to follow, says Maura Healy-Rae
Maura Healy-Rae has been selected to replace her father Danny on Kerry County Council, following his elevation to the Dáil, and will be co-opted at a special meeting on Monday.
The 25-year-old English and History teacher at St Brogan’s College in Bandon, Co Cork, says it’s a natural progression, having grown up in a household where politics was part of daily life.
“There wasn’t an hour in any day in our house when politics wasn’t being discussed in some shape or form so I’ve always been interested,” she said.
“I’ve also seen how my father has put his heart and soul into it for the past 14 years and he’ll certainly be a hard act to follow.”
The hard work and constantly being at the beck and call of constituents in not putting her off. “I could spend my life a lot worse than trying to help other people. I’m also at a fierce advantage and I’ll have plenty of help from my brother Johnny, my father, and my uncle Michael,” she added.
Proud father Danny said Maura was the obvious choice. “She was very involved and was talking outside Masses without having been asked to do it. She made an impression everywhere she went and she’s looking forward to and very interested in it as well,” he added.
Meanwhile, Micheal and Danny are set to vote against all nominees for taoiseach on Thursday.
A meeting of more than 100 key Healy-Rae supporters took place in a hotel in Killarney to endorse Maura as her father’s replacement. The decision was taken to vote against Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and all others “without some sort of deal on the table,” a Healy-Rae source said.
A list of demands in return for support is being drawn up and looks set already to include funding for specific roads throughout the county, opening of closed beds in Kenmare and Dingle community hospitals, increasing ambulances in Kerry, and a full catering and tourism college for Killarney.
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