It is ironic - or appropriate - that the collapse of the global economy, brought about by aggressive, unregulated, laissez-faire capitalism, has pushed the demise of the PDs - the party that championed free market capitalism in Ireland - off the front pages.
For weeks Ireland was consumed by Noel Grealish’s dithering about whether or not to join Fianna Fáil, and the PDs deferring any final decision to wind up the party until November 8. Then laissez-faire capitalism hit the self-destruct button and the PDs were given the chance to dither in peace and privacy.
PD sources told Galway First that once the November 8 meeting is held, the party is virtually certain to be wound up and in the following days/weeks Dep Grealish will formally announce he is joining Fianna Fáil.
What of the rest of the party? Galway City East Cllr Terry O’Flaherty and Connemara Cllr Tom Welby have already declared they will run as Independents in 2009. Oranmore’s Cllr Jim Cuddy is widely expected to join Fianna Fáil if Dep Grealish does, but party sources warn that that is not certain and he may instead take the Independent route.
Cllr Donal Lyons has admitted publicly that he is likely to stand as an independent in 2009 but Fine Gael is interested in him and will be speaking with him this week to try to convince him to join the party. If that happens, FG would take two seats in Galway City West.
Cllr Declan McDonnell is expected to join FF but given events at Monday’s city council meeting this looks extremely unlikely. If ever a message was sent out saying ‘not welcome here’ then two of the three FF councillors delivered it on the night.
At the meeting, councillors were asked to pass a material contravention to allow for the demolition of the Galway Shopping Centre and the building of a new mixed use urban retail/commercial, residential, and leisure development.
In case Cllr McDonnell could be accused of a conflict of interest - certain members of The Heart of Galway (of which Cllr McDonnell is a member ) were calling for councillors to reject the material contravention - he withdrew from that section of the meeting.
However Fianna Fáil Cllr Michael J Crowe accused Cllr McDonnell of “sitting on the fence”, “shirking a difficult decision” and of walking away from the issue.
Later, councillors were discussing the Draft Development Contribution Scheme 2008 – 2012. The city manager Joe MacGrath said the money from the scheme was important to funding infrastructural works in the city. However Labour Cllr Tom Costello said the proposed increases were too high and Cllr McDonnell proposed more modest increases.
In response Fianna Fáil Cllr Mary Leahy pointedly asked Cllr McDonnell to provide a list of all services and works that would have to be cut if less money was going to come in. “What projects over the next five years will you cut?” she asked.
It is no coincidence that both Leahy and Crowe are located in Galway City East - the same ward as Cllr McDonnell is in. Neither wants him back in Fianna Fáil as they see his presence as a major threat to their electoral ambitions. They know that three Fianna Fáilers in a six seat ward is more likely to yield two seats - and therefore one loser - rather than three winners.
Cllr McDonnell was taken aback by the Fianna Fáil assault on Monday but it seems the message got through as he is now seriously thinking of running Independent.
After the 2009 election, Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael will seek to control the council and they will look to form a pact with Labour or the Greens before they look towards Independents.
Party members will have a party machine behind them to help with their election. If elected and in the pact, they will have the chance to be mayor and hold positions on committees. After the slog of getting elected as an Independent, to find yourself outside the positions of power is scant reward, and McDonnell and Lyons know this.
Although they are likely to run as independents, the possibility of power has a way of concentrating minds. Do not be surprised if Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael unveil McDonnell and Lyons as party candidates in the near future.
