Bertie's brother throws hat into ring for Gregory seat
THE brother of Bertie Ahern last night confirmed he is seeking the nomination for the upcoming Dublin Central by-election.
Maurice Ahern, the Fianna Fail councillor and older brother of the former Taoiseach, said he would be "very unhappy" if the by-election to fill the seat of the late Tony Gregory is held on the same day as the local and European elections.
Running the by-election on the same day would pose difficulties for councillors contesting the local elections and also split canvassers into local and national campaigns.
While Cllr Ahern would be allowed to contest both elections if they are held on the one day, he would have to surrender his council seat if elected to the Dail.
"Let's be honest, I want Bertie out canvassing for me," he said. "He's just about getting mobile now. He's had a broken leg, as you know, for a long time, and he was out with me in September and October and then he broke his leg," Cllr Ahern said.
He said his brother couldn't be expected to cover all of Dublin Central. "We had enough of that over the years when Bertie was expected to go all over the country and we were killing ourselves to get him elected. So now, I want him home so to speak. But let me say, that the other councillors wouldn't want that either."
Meanwhile, Fianna Fail Councillor Tom Stafford said it would be "ridiculous" for the by-election to be held on June 5 alongside locals and Europeans.
"We wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning it. I'm in the constituency for the past 20 years as a public representative and I know the feelings of the people and the way it goes.
"It certainly would not be in Fianna Fail's interests that it would be taking place on the same day as the European elections and local elections. I don't think it's fair," he said.
The inner city councillor said he would like to follow in the footsteps of his brother John Stafford, a former TD for Dublin Central, and would be "throwing his hat in the ring".
The potential third candidate, Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick, said she would continue to campaign for the local elections, and "adapt to the situation" when a date is announced for the by-election.
"It's always been my ambition to represent Dublin Central in the Dail. I stood in the last general election and worked very hard. It's a very competitive constituency so I never underestimated the difficulty in getting elected," she said.
Election fever was ratcheted up this week when friends and colleagues of the late Independent TD Gregory selected Dublin City councillor Maureen O'Sullivan to run in the by-election. Other parties are faced with the dilemma of either fielding sitting councillors in both the local and by-election, or asking them to choose one over the other.
- ine Kerr Political Correspondent
