Sen Ciaran Cannon has said he brought forward his decision to join Fine Gael in order to support Cllr Mogie Maher and other local representatives in the run-up to the Local Elections.
Cllr Maher, who joined FG in recent months, was co-opted to Sen Cannon’s seat on the Galway County Council when Sen Cannon was elected to the Seanad in 2007. Cllr Maher will now contest the Local Elections as a FG candidate for both the Galway County Council and the Loughrea Town Council.
Sen Cannon, who formally announced his intention to join Fine Gael on Tuesday, said he decided to make the move before the cessation of the Progressive Democrats in order to support FG local candidates on the campaign trail. The PD party is currently winding up its affairs and Dep Noel Grealish has taken over as interim leader.
Though he was wooed by Labour and Fianna Fáil in recent months Sen Cannon’s decision to join Fine Gael comes as no surprise to many, however he had previously said he would wait until the PD party had been dissolved before announcing his political intentions.
“I was anxious once Cllr Maher had joined Fine Gael as I couldn’t be visibly out with him on his campaign,” Sen Cannon told the Galway Advertiser. “It [the wind up of the PDs] could have taken another month and that would be far too close to the elections, and I wanted to help out.
“Fine Gael held the selection convention for Loughrea on Friday night and I couldn’t even go as I’m not a member of the party.”
Sen Cannon said he also plans to support Cllr Peter Feeney and Cllr Bridie Willers, both FG county councillors who will be seeking to retain their seats in June, during the election campaign.
The Athenry senator has hit out at Fianna Fáil for its failure to display leadership since the beginning of the economic crisis.
“My biggest problem with Fianna Fáil is that they are not giving leadership to the people,” he said. “Most people are willing to roll up their sleeves and play their part in getting out of this crisis, but the impression they have is that the Government is lurching from one crisis to the next.
“There is a plan there, but you have to burrow down through policy documents and press releases to find it. While this budget is going to be extremely difficult, people will row in behind it because it will help the country.”
Sen Cannon said earlier this week that he was particularly impressed with the way Fine Gael had bounced back under the leadership of Enda Kenny following the 2002 General Election, and how the party has responded to the economic crisis.
“I have been particularly impressed with the party’s very positive and constructive approach to the current economic crisis the country is facing, and note the very progressive policies announced recently on Oireachtas reform, education reform, and job creation,” he said. “My primary task now is to get to work with my new colleagues and continue to represent the people of east Galway as effectively as I possibly can. Finally I would like to thank all my former colleagues in the PDs and wish them well individually as they start making plans for their future.”
