According to veteran Fianna Fáíl TD Willie O’Dea, “it wouldn’t be fair to the people” to hold a general election too close to the European and local elections in June – though he argued that the election should not be left until the last possible moment, i.e. next March.
In an interview with Gript, O’Dea was asked if there was any truth to a rumour that a group of Fianna Fáil backbencher rebels – possibly even led by himself – might have considered pulling the plug on the Taoiseach vote and refused to support Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, potentially triggering an election.
O’Dea said no such thing was discussed.
“I must confess I wasn’t aware of those rumours,” he said, adding: “I certainly had no discussions with anybody along those lines.”
Regarding his decision to support Simon Harris as Taoiseach, he said it was “the right thing” to do.
“We’ve got two elections coming up in June – the European elections, and the local elections,” he said.
“We’ve actually got three elections coming up in Limerick – we’ve got the mayoral elections coming up as well.
“So the last thing I want to do is foist yet another election on the people of Ireland.
“It would be fair to the people, it wouldn’t be fair for the candidates for Europe and our local election candidates.”
However, he said that it was “not good politics” to leave the election until the very last moment around March next year, with senior government figures repeatedly affirming that the election would be held in 2025.
“What I did object to was the declaration that this government is going to run right to the very last second, of the very last minute, of the very last hour, of the very last day. I think that’s not good politics.
“You remove whatever flexibility you have – say you were determined to hold the election before Christmas, and then there was a crisis or whatever, it gives you room to manoeuvre. If you’re right up against the wall you’ve no room to manoeuvre.
“The other objection to it that I had was if you look at the logistics of the Dáil, the Christmas recess runs until the middle of January. Now, the general election is likely to be before Saint Patrick’s Day, because Ministers won’t want to be travelling abroad when the election is in progress. That means that the election would have to be called in February anyway.
“I really don’t see the point in dragging us all back up here to Dublin to pass legislation or to get involved in debates for the last four weeks, when people who don’t have to be in Dublin would be literally beating our constituents’ doors down.”
He added: “If we wait until after Christmas, there’ll be very little legislating after Christmas, and it’ll be more campaigning.”
Asked for his prediction for the upcoming local and European elections, O’Dea said: “It’s two months to go – I wouldn’t predict it as early as this. But I was quite taken aback by my experience during the referendum.
“The reaction on the door is quite good – it contrast with 2011, when you were literally afraid to press the doorbell because you didn’t know what was going to come back on the other side. Now people are quite welcoming, they’re prepared to engage, and all that.
“But one wonders how many of those Dr. Jekylls are going to turn into Mr. and Mrs. Hyde once they get into the polling station.”
O’Dea further discussed the hate speech bill, the gender recognition act, transgender biological males in female prisons and more, in the interview which can be viewed below.
“The hate speech bill was rushed through the Dáil. I certainly didn’t pay sufficient attention to it…but when I read it I was absolutely horrified."
Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea wasn't aware what was in the hate speech bill he voted for, and says he now regrets supporting it. pic.twitter.com/ioQP5dFJPL
— gript (@griptmedia) April 9, 2024
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So opposing the govt = Mr. Hyde ?
O’Dea the duplicitous stage-clown.
Irish champions at speaking from both sides of their arses at the same time is ff/fg/g , general election now
They will go to the last millisecond because they know they are screwed. They are not thinking past election day and are going for bust. We need to make sure they never see power ever again.
what a difference between Minster Carol Nolan and this gombeen ( Limerick needs a magir reboot) in talking to the interviewer, I be voting for independent TD that puts local Irish interests that elected them FIRST , not something that happening thousands of miles away or on the phone talking to people that have nothing to do with our country 👍
Roll on 8 june. In tge meantime STOO UN TREATY IN NAY
Or tgey will put us into a dusinfo lockdown in June
To coin one of theirs “Lots Done, Lot’s More To Do”
Yeah, damage that is – that party and the rest of em should be made illegal after this.
Poor Willy,the scapegoat.
Would it not have been more efficient to have 3 elections tge same day
Anne, apparently our poor little pixie heads would be fried if we had all those ballot papers to fill out. What’s worse we may inadvertently elect politicians that represent our views. That would never work.
Is Gript being kept out of all the important press conferences until this big week is over and this is all you’ve got 🙄?
Neidin, the attempted sidelining of Gript and the refusal to answer their questions is well known. Perhaps you would be happier on the Independent website where they have plenty of news on the celebrities that apparently have the answer to all Ireland’s ills.
I will not have my speech compelled 😆😆😆😂😂