BYC.J. MCGINLEY
COUNCILLOR Terence Slowey has strenuously denied he was 'pushed or shoved' to stand aside as the Fine Gael general election candidate in Donegal South West. Speaking to the Donegal News on Tuesday the Ardara councillor said the decision was "mine and mine alone" and taken in the best interests of the Fine Gael party.
The decision ended weeks of political speculation and confirmed veteran TD Dinny McGinley as the sole Fine Gael candidate in the constituency for forthcoming general election, reversing his decision of last June to retire from politics.
The news has fuelled speculation that a deal was done by the party hierarchy to secure Deputy McGinley's name on the party ticket. The party's general secretary Tom Curran said the decision had been taken after extensive research and was ratified by the Executive Council of Fine Gael.
"The Fine Gael ticket for Donegal South West is now complete and the sole candidate is Dinny McGinley," he said.
When asked at a press conference in Jackson's Hotel if a deal was done involving the promise of a cabinet job to secure his return, Deputy McGinley said: "I have had discussions with the party leader. There were no deals. However, I do feel if there is a change of government and we have a new Taoiseach, who is half a Donegal man himself, that the county will not be overlooked at the cabinet table."
Deputy McGinley said he was committed to complete a five-year stint if re-elected. His decision to run again comes eight months after he announced he was not going to contest the election. The former teacher came under intense pressure from the party following internal polls which showed support for Councillor Slowey at just seven per cent.
The poll showed two seats going to Fianna Fail and one to Sinn Fein. Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein) led the way with 28 per cent of the vote followed by Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan on 25 per cent and Junior Minister Pat The Cope Gallagher on 18 per cent with Jim White (Fine Gael) on 12 per cent - even though he has not declared - and Councillor Terence Slowey (Fine Gael) on 7 per cent.
At the press conference former Fine Gael TD and poll topper Jim White all but conceded that the two Fianna Fail seats in the constituency were safe and Fine Gael's battle was now head to head with Sinn Fein. In the 2002 general election the Fianna Fail duo polled nearly 15,000 votes, or 41 per cent of the first preferences.
The Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny T.D has warmly welcomed Deputy McGinley's decision. He also paid tribute to Cllr Terence Slowey for all his work on behalf of the party since his nomination last June and his decision now to throw his weight behind the candidacy of Dinny McGinley.
"Fine Gael is determined to maximise our seats at the next General Election. Once Dinny McGinley indicated his willingness to run again Terence Slowey had a very difficult decision to make, and I'm pleased that he made a strategic decision in the interests of the party. He has committed himself to ensuring that Fine Gael hold on to our seat in a very competitive Donegal South West constituency.
"I am confident now that with the Party united behind our sitting T.D. that the people of Donegal South West will continue to be represented with distinction by Fine Gael in the Dáil, and after the next election, by Fine Gael in government."
DISAPPOINTED
Councillor Slowey said he would "not dress up" how difficult the decision had been for him to take but said it was a strategic political decision taken to ensure that Fine Gael retains its seat. Notably, he asserted that had a second candidate from the Donegal or Finn Valley areas been added to the ticket he was hopeful he would have taken the seat. However, when the party opted for the single candidate approach he felt the sitting TD was best placed to retain the seat.
"Over the last ten days I visited Dublin and spoke in detail with officers from party headquarters. They were looking at the constituency in detail. Over the last year there was six or seven polls and it became clear that people had hardened their positions. The decision I have taken is a strategic one when the party decided the best option was to run one candidate. It was always clear to me then, as a strategist, the sitting TD had always a better chance of taking the seat," he said.
"A sitting TD has always got a better chance than a new candidate. I looked at the polls, they were all laid out in front of me and I decided it was in the best interests of the party on this occasion that I would step down," he added.
Asked specifically was he pushed or shoved by party headquarters Councillor Slowey said this was not the case.
"This was purely my decision, and mine alone. There was no mechanism within the organisation to remove from the party ticket having gone through a party selection convention. There has been a Fine Gael seat here since the foundation of the state and my decision was in the best interests of the party," he said.
"I am not going to hide how difficult this decision was for me, however. I'm not going to dress up how hard this was for me. We've worked day and night, at weekends and on Sundays since my selection. I have a thirteen-year-old boy, and I know is terrible to say, but I haven't kicked a ball with him since last June. It takes over your life, you are expected to be everywhere but I had no problem doing that," he said.
Councillor Slowey said Deputy McGinley was strategically better placed in the constituency and was known right across the constituency over 25 years.
"While I was a councillor in the Glenties area and I spread my tentacles far and wide I still hadn't the same recognition as a TD of 25 years standing who was known in housing estates as far away as Lifford. I would ask that the Fine Gael organisation from Portnoo to Pettigo, Bundoran to Creeslough and Glencolmcille to Lifford to come out and work to ensure the re-election of the sitting Deputy Dinny McGinley," Councillor Slowey said.
Councillor Slowey said there was no deal with party headquarters for him to stand aside.
"I sought nothing and there was no deal. The only election here is the general election and we have to ensure now that Dinny is elected," Councillor Slowey said adding his name be on the ticket again in the future.
MAGNIMANIOUS GESTURE
Paying tribute to Councillor Slowey for what he described as his 'magnanimous' gesture to stand down Deputy McGinley said he was an outstanding public representative.
"I am privileged that he has pledged his support to my campaign following his withdrawal. I know he has a bright future in Fine Gael." he added.
Asked what had changed his mind Deputy McGinley said
"I had a number of meetings with the party leader in recent days and Terence's magnanimous decision to stand aside encouraged me to go forward again. I discussed it with my family and supporters and felt I owe a debt to the party to defend the Fine Gael seat that has been in the constituency since the foundation of the state," he said.
"I don't know what the soundings were, we're never privy to these things but I was told merely that I was better placed up here and my record for 25 years to retain the Fine Gael seat. When you put these things together it was decided, on this occasion, that I was better positioned to defend the seat," he said.
Deputy McGinley played down remarks from former TD Jim White at the outset of the meeting the battle was down to Fine Gael and Sinn Fein. Mr White, a well known businessman and former poll topper for Fine Gael, said anyone who knew anything about politics were aware the two sitting Fianna Fail Ministers were going to retain their seats.
Asked specifically about this Deputy McGinley said the three seats were 'the gift of the people' and nobody could be assured of returning.
"I will have to put in a big campaign. I'm conscious we're up against two sitting Fianna Fail Ministers and all the resources at their disposal but it is up to the people to decide.
"I have been the lone Fine Gael voice in Donegal as a TD for ten years. Hopefully this will resonate with the people. There appears to be a consensus that we're up against Sinn Fein but I'll accept the will of the people," he said.
In the last general election Deputy McGinley polled 4,378 first preferences while his running mate Jim White had 4,680 giving Fine Gael 25 per cent of the first preferences in the constituency. In the 2002 election Cllr Pearse Doherty polled 2,697 first preferences (7%) but in a recent poll Councillor Doherty was the poll topper with around 23 per cent of the first preference vote. How he fares in gaining transfers will be one of the features of the election.
Deputy McGinley said he was convinced there would be a change of government.
