Gregory vows to be casual Ceann Comhairle

Casually-dressed Independent TD Tony Gregory believes he won’t have to buy a tie if he becomes Ceann Comhairle in the next Dáil.

Mr Gregory, who has refused to wear a tie in the Dáil for 25 years to reflect his working class roots, is tipped to net the post if he supports a Fianna Fáil-led Government.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen today began a process to consider potential Coalition options.

They both met to discuss the party’s performance in each of the state’s 43 constituencies.

Mr Gregory, who is the Dáil’s longest-serving Independent, was elected in a by-election in Dublin Central in February 1982 and has been returned at seven elections since then.

He previously supported a Charles Haughey-led administration.

He is likely to be in the frame for the prestigious Ceann Comhairle role again if Mr Ahern chooses to seek Coalition support of the Progressive Democrats and Independents.

Mr Gregory noted that Mr Ahern had nominated Labour TD Seamus Pattison to the Ceann Comhairle position in 1997.

When asked if he would have to wear a tie if elected as Ceann Comhairle he said: “That’s a load of rubbish. There is no such regulation. I think you have to be ’properly attired’ and so on but as you know I would be always properly attired in the chair or in the backbenches.”

Meanwhile, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and his Labour Party counterpart met today for informal talks on the next Government.

Mr Kenny, who now leads a team of 51 TDs, believes he can form a Coalition with other parties and groupings to muster a 83-member Dáil majority.

Labour and Sinn Féin are due to convene meetings of their parliamentary parties tomorrow.