Former Kerry TD Tom Fleming set for political comeback

Former Kerry TD Tom Fleming has signalled plans to return to the political fray.

The former Fianna Fáil county councillor said he his almost certain to put his name forward to contest the local elections as an Independent in a new Castleisland division. He expects to make a final decision by the end of January.

The 67-year-old has been running the family pub in Scartaglin after a surprise decision not to seek re-election to the Dáil in 2016.

However, he remains to the fore in community advocacy, particularly in securing playgrounds for communities.

“These are very adverse times for small villages and towns,” he said, and compared running the pub to “a bit of a social service”.

“I still have a huge interest in what’s happening at community level,” he said.