Fine Gael aims to win two Dail seats in Tipperary in next general election, says Tánaiste

Tánaiste and Deputy Fine Gael leader Simon Coveney says he is not aware of any plan to run a third Fine Gael candidate in Tipperary in the next general election and stresses his party will be fighting to win back two seats in that contest when it comes.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade also dismissed the challenge Independent TD and former FG minister Michael Lowry's popularity with the Tipperary electorate presents to Fine Gael’s prospects of regaining a Dail seat in this county.

When asked if he would  concede Mr Lowry’s polling strength and his unofficial agreement with the current coalition in return for his support presented an uphill battle for Fine Gael, he replied no election was easily won and his party wasn't conceding anything. 

Mr Coveney argued the best way for Tipperary voters to have political influence is to elect a TD from a big political party that was in government rather than an independent.  He argued this county has "really missed" not having a Fine Gael and government TD.  

"Tipperary is unusual in that it has so many independents elected (to the Dail)," he told The Nationalist. 

"I think, of course, it's up to people who they want to elect. But from my perspective and experience in politics, the way to get things done is to be in a big political party, particularly if that party is in government, to maximise your influence for an area. I think the absence of a Fine Gael TD in Tipperary has been something that certainly this party wants to correct."  

Mr Coveney said Fine Gael was very happy with the two Tipperary general election candidates it has selected - Garret Ahearn and Mary Newman-Julian - who have both been "very vocal" with raising the Tipperary issues at Dublin-level. 

 He was not aware of any plan to run a third Fine Gael candidate in the north of the county. Any change in the current election strategy would be made by Fine Gael at national executive level, he said. 

And he stressed the party's goal is to win two seats in Tipperary in the next election

"Our aim is to be fighting for two seats not for one. It's not that long ago when we had two TDs in Tipperary where there were two constituencies. We have two young, ambitious candidates, both of whom I think are much better known that a year ago. I think they will represent the  party really well." 

He said he had known Garret Ahearn for many years and his election to Tipperary Co. Council in May was more than a boost; it proved people want him in politics and his subsequent election as Mayor of Clonmel showed he had the respect of his peers as well. 

"He is  a politician who has proven himself electorally and wants to take the next step. In the meantime he is deeply committed to local politics to Clonmel and Tipperary as a county and obviously wants to maximise his influence by being in Dail Eireann.

"Mary Newman is someone who has also been canvassing very hard and getting her name out there. It's a competitive elected within Fine Gael, I think we have two candidates who will do a really good job for Tipperary if they are elected.

He dismissed criticism that Fine Gael's two candidates are located too close geographically to each other.  

Referring to his late father Hugh's time as a TD in Cork South Central, he recalled Fine Gael had two TDs in that five seater constituency at the time and the other deputy Peter Barry lived across the road from the Coveney family. 

" The issue here is to have the best candidates who can represent the whole county rather than splitting Tipperary into north and south." 

Mr Coveney said because Tipperary was previously split into two constituencys people tended to split the county politically in their minds.  

 "The whole point of having a single consituency and candidates that can represent the county as a whole is to have a powerful voice for Tipperary as opposed to people who want to represent geographically a particular area." 

He believes both Garret Ahearn and May Newman-Julian will be well able to represent Nenagh as well as Clonmel and all the towns and parishes in between