This article is from page 6 of the 2006-01-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
With his own convention likely to be weeks if not months away yet, Clare junior Minister Tony Killeen found himself at the centre of one of the most controversial Fianna Fáil selection processes in the last 12 months.
The Clare Fianna Fáil TD was in the chair of the Galway West convention, which ended in disarray on Sunday night last.
When delegates from the five seater Galway constituency refused to accept a three-candidate strategy recommended by Fianna Fáil Headquarters, the Clare politician adjourned the hotly contested convention.
Junior Minister Killeen said he was selected to chair the controversial meeting because he was not part of the convention committee and therefore not party to how the proposed three-candidate ticket was arrived at.
Under new party rules the Constituency Committee, chaired up by Finance Minister Brian Cowan, decides the number of candidates for each constituency.
Initially six candidates put their name forwards for the Galway West convention.
Junior Minister Killeen told The Clare People that on the night, two of the six candidates withdrew their names on the understanding that there was going to be just three candidates selected.
With four candidates remaining for selection, delegates demanded that all four be put on the ticket.
The four remaining candidates included sitting TDs, Minister for the Gaeltacht Éamon Ó Cuiv (cousin of Clare TD Sile de Valera) and junior Minister at the Department of Justice Frank Fahy.
Galway County Councillors Mary Hoade and Seamus Walsh were also available for selection after the two candidates withdrew.
Fianna Fáil currently holds two of the five seats in Galway West.
As a reported majority of the 350 delegates refused to follow the HQ directions, the Clare chairman adjourned the meeting.
Senior party officials are now to talk to the West Galway delegates about a possible solution.
Deputy Killeen believes that the party could decide to select its candidates in the Galway West constituency by an interviewing process if a convention cannot be agreed upon.
The preferred option, however, would be to allow the Galway delegates to select their own candidates, in an effort to appease relations between the local party and headquarters.
Deputy Killeen said he proposed to the delegates on the night that they select the three candidates as directed, and that the names be returned to headquarters with a recommendation that the fourth name be added to the ticket.
Initially, the Taoiseach had directed that all of the party’s conventions be concluded by Christmas 2005. A number of conventions, including the Clare convention, were postponed, for a number of reasons.