DUBLIN CENTRAL BYELECTION:FIANNA FÁIL in Dublin Central has accepted that finishing fifth in this weekend's byelection represented a dismal performance by the party, in a constituency dominated by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern for 30 years.
While Mr Ahern has made no public comment on the outcome, senior party sources in the constituency said the 12 per cent share of the vote achieved by his brother Maurice Ahern was a “disaster”.
However, they pointed out that they didn’t believe the collapse in the party’s vote from 44.5 per cent in the last election (of which some 39.5 per cent was for Bertie Ahern alone) could be attributed to an “anti-Ahern” factor. It was reflective of a general hostility towards the Government, they insisted.
Maurice Ahern finished fifth behind the byelection winner, Gregory candidate Maureen O’Sullivan; Paschal Donohoe of Fine Gael; Ivana Bacik of Labour and Christy Burke of Sinn Féin.
Speaking at the count in the RDS, Maurice Ahern said the “tide has gone out” for Fianna Fáil in Dublin generally, and the loss could not be attributable to the Ahern name.
“You have to be realistic,” he said. “If the Government has not won a byelection in 30 years, why should you win when the Government is really unpopular?”
Elsewhere, Ms O’Sullivan said it is was too early for her to make any decisions on positions she will adopt in the Dáil, including her stance on any agreement with the Government, other parties or alliances. Saying such a scenario was hypothetical, she added: “In general terms, I believe in Tony Gregory, I supported him for 30 years.
“That’s what I will be doing. I won’t fill his shoes. I don’t think anybody will. I will certainly do our best on the issues he believed in,” she said.
Following her election on the eighth count, Ms O’Sullivan said she would dedicate the seat to community activists, friends and supporters who had been with Tony Gregory for 30 years and who were with her now: “Finally, this seat is for you, Tony Gregory, wherever you are. Tony, we did it for you. We were not going to hand it over to a political party.”
Fine Gael and Labour both said their performance in the elections would consolidate their chances of making gains in the constituency in the next general election.
Mr Donohoe expressed disappointment at not having won the seat but said he was well-placed to regain a seat in Dublin Central, last held by the party before 2002. “We have taken our share from 9 per cent in the 2007 election to 23 or 24 per cent now. Fine Gael is the largest party. I am sad that I did not make it, but very proud of my achievement,” he said.
The Labour candidate, Senator Bacik, would not be drawn on whether or not she would contest the constituency again: “I’ll have to think about all that. I have not yet made any decision for the future . . . I have said all along I would like to be part of a Labour team in government. This has made my ambition very stronger.”