INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL PANEL:TWO FIANNA Fáil candidates elected last night to the Industrial and Commercial panel had differing views on party leader Micheál Martin's campaign strategy.
Outgoing Senator Mary White, who topped the poll with 78,000 votes, described Mr Martin’s list of 10 recommended candidates as “totally wrong and undemocratic”.
Ms White, who was excluded from the list, said her opposition to it had been vindicated by the fact that she topped the poll.
“I think it has damaged Micheál Martin’s leadership. He misjudged the ability of those he wanted to stand down and who went on to be elected. He failed to recognise they were serious politicians.”
She added she had produced documents on childcare, ageism and suicide during her time as a Senator and this had been recognised outside Leinster House.
Averil Power, who was on Mr Martin’s list and who finished second with 75,000 first preferences, strongly defended the party leader. Ms Power polled 4,794 first preferences in Dublin North East in the general election, surviving until the eight count. She was appointed to Mr Martin’s interim front bench following his election as leader.
She said issuing the list was “a bold and courageous move” by Mr Martin, given that it was inevitably going to upset some people.
Outgoing Fianna Fáil Senator Marc MacSharry, who was also on Mr Martin’s list, was expected to take a seat, having polled 69,000 first preferences.
However, the third Fianna Fáil candidate on Mr Martin’s list on the panel, Kenneth O’Flynn, from Cork, polled 24,000 first preferences and was not expected to be in the final shake-up. He is son of former Cork North Central TD Noel O’Flynn, who stood down in the general election.
Labour’s Jimmy Harte, from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was first to be elected on the 22nd count. He is son of former long-serving Donegal North East Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte. Overall, Fine Gael was expected to take four seats, Fianna Fáil three and Labour and Sinn Féin one each.
Counting in the vocational panels concludes today with the seven-seat administrative panel.