This article is from page 4 of the 2006-10-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
LABOUR Party Leader Pat Rabbitte has put his faith in east Clare councillor Pascal Fitzgerald to follow in the footsteps of Clare’s last Labour TD Dr Moosajee Bhamjee.
The would-be Tánaiste attended the Labour Party’s Selection Convention in Ennis on Friday to see the councillor of just over two years selected to represent the party in Clare.
Cllr Fitzgerald is equally confident that he can gain a seat in the hotly contested Clare constituency, believing that the complacency of others and a need for change leaves the way open for a Labour seat.
“TDs are getting very confident that they will retain a seat, but things have changed since the last election. Shannon and Ennis have expanded and have a different population.
“Look what happened at the local election in Killaloe where there were four new seats,” he said.
A life-long Labour supporter, Cllr Fitzgerald was first elected to Clare County Council in 2004.
To secure a seat in the next election, the Labour party will have a huge task ahead. It must keep ahead of the Green Party in first preference votes. Labour will then hope that the Fine Gael, Green and Labour pact will come into play, securing the Labour candidate transfers from the Green’s and any possible protest independent candidate.
The Parteen councillor will still have an uphill battle to come in ahead of the larger parties and the sitting TDs.
Labour last had a Clare TD when Dr Bhamjee was elected with 5,113 first preference vote. He secured his position with transfers from Fine Gael and Independents, and by dislodging Clare’s two west Clare TDs Madeleine Taylor Quinn and Brendan Daly. The party lost its seat when the colourful psychiatrist decided to retire from politics in advance of the 1997 election.
In 2002, former ASTI president and Ennis Town Councillor Michael Corley polled just 1,720 first preference votes. Just days after his official selection Cllr Fitzgerald was already preparing for battle.
“I don’t see the Government delivering,” he said. He was critical of the PDs saying that the party should stand up and be counted. He reiterated his leader’s call for better healthcare, the need to address anti-social behaviour and educational needs.
Speaking in Ennis after his Clare representative was selected, Mr Rabbitte said it was time to go to the polls.
“How can the crisis in policing, in our hospitals, in public transport be addressed in circumstances where the two parties are scarcely speaking to each other?” he asked.