INDEPENDENTS:INDEPENDENT TD Maureen O'Sullivan will face competition from at least two other Independent candidates in Dublin Central.
Christy Burke, a Dublin city councillor since 1985, is running as an Independent candidate over a year after he left his former party, Sinn Féin.
Mr Burke said he would be willing to enter an agreement with any party which would seek a review of the interest rate on the EU-IMF loan, adding that he wanted to see the prosecution of bankers responsible for the economic situation. If elected, he will call for the reversal of minimum wage cuts, a full restoration of the blind pension and a bailout for people who “have run into a cul-de-sac” with their mortgage.
Another Dublin city councillor, Cieran Perry has announced his intention to run having sat on the council since 2009. Mr Perry said Fianna Fáil had left the most vulnerable to pay for the actions of the bankers. He said a Fine Gael-Labour government would make no change: “Both are wedded to implementing the disastrous IMF-EU programme of cuts.”
Cork county councillor Dermot Sheehan, son of retiring Fine Gael Deputy for Cork South West PJ Sheehan, last night ended speculation that he was planning to run as an Independent.
Mr Sheehan failed to get a nomination at the Fine Gael convention on January 2nd last and speculation had been rife that he might instead seek to run as an independent in a move which would have seriously affected the Fine Gael vote in Cork South West.
Mr Sheehan said that while he had received considerable support from inside and outside the party encouraging him to run, he had opted not to do so. Fine Gael had been an integral part of his life and he believed an independent voice would not at this time benefit the people of Cork South West.
He urged his supporters to back the Fine Gael candidates.