Grealish says it’s good to talk
Independent TD for Galway West – and potential government kingmaker – Noel Grealish is willing to talk to all political parties attempting to put together a government.
The Carnmore man – who secured 7,187 first preference votes, second only to Éamon Ó Cuív – said: “I’ll talk to everybody, but there have been no calls yet. With the delays from the recounts, everybody is waiting to see how the numbers work.
“After that, it will all be about positioning, although it does look like it will be a minority Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil government.
“I’ll be willing to talk to everybody, so if I get the call, I’m ready to sit down and talk. I won’t rule anybody out,” said Deputy Grealish, who was first elected as a member of the progressive Democrats in 2002 as ‘successor’ to party founder Bobby Molloy’s seat.
Mr Molloy visited the count centre at Bailey Allen Hall in NUI Galway on Sunday afternoon, to celebrate with former PDs including city councillors Declan McDonnell, Terry O’Flaherty and Donal Lyons, as well as county councillors Jim Cuddy and Tom Welby.
Asked if the TG4/Ipsos opinion poll released last week helped get him elected, he said “it didn’t do me any harm”.
The poll had written off his chances of retaining his seat, which is believed to have rallied support for him.
“A poll that shows you in trouble helps, and a poll that shows you topping the poll doesn’t help, so it probably didn’t do me any harm.
“But when we were out canvassing, I felt there was a lot of support for me, so I was surprised when it (the opinion poll) said that I was kind of struggling.
“A lot of people might say they will vote for one person, but vote for someone else, so the only accurate poll we really had was the exit poll,” said Deputy Grealish.
He said the biggest issues facing TDs in Galway over the term of the Dáil are health and traffic.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.