FINE GAEL has suffered another blow in the Dublin South constituency, with the party’s expected replacement for George Lee deciding to opt out of politics.
Cllr Jim O’Leary from Dundrum, who stood aside to facilitate the RTÉ journalist in last year’s byelection, was widely expected to be the party’s candidate in the byelection caused by Mr Lee’s decision to quit politics.
Mr O’Leary has now decided to leave politics as well because he has been promoted to a senior position in Allied Irish Banks.
“I am resigning from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown council because I do not feel that my role in the bank would be compatible with public life,” Mr O’Leary said last night.
His new job title is group head of market risk management, but he emphasised that it had nothing to do with property lending and that his previous role in the bank had not related to property either.
“I had to think long and hard about my decision and it brought home to me that there are certain careers which made it difficult to participate in public life.”
Mr O’Leary emphasised that while he was leaving electoral politics, he intended to remain a member of Fine Gael.
“I do think that we will have a Fine Gael government and that Enda Kenny will be the taoiseach after the next election,” he added.
Mr O’Leary who was whip of the Fine Gael group on the council was first elected in 2004 and he was re-elected in June of last year.
He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services as a market risk manager.