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Updated 10pm
FINE GAEL HAS formally selected Brian Hayes as its candidate to contest the European elections in Dublin with several ministers full of praise for the Dublin South West TD this evening.
Hayes, who was formally selected unopposed, took the opportunity to praise Taoiseach Enda Kenny, describing him “as the most successful Fine Gael leader ever”.
“He has united this party, and my God we’re a difficult bunch at times to unite. He has led by example and as far as I am concerned he stands head and shoulders over any other political leader in this country,” Hayes said this evening.
The junior minister took aim at Sinn Féin saying their aim was to create “maximum political chaos and failure” while he criticised Fianna Fáil’s record in Europe.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said of Hayes: “Brian Hayes is going to make a brilliant MEP. I like him.”
He half-jokingly referred to “some little tensions in the past” with the TD who voted against him during the attempted leadership heave in June 2010, but said such differences are “so far back in history they’re irrelevant”.
In a lengthy, passionate and rousing speech to party members in Dublin, Kenny repeatedly banged his fist on the lectern and offered praise to several ministers including Health Minister James Reilly saying “we will give you all the help you need.” He also joked that Leo Varadkar could run a 10k race in “I dunno, half-an-hour”
Pic: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland
As well as the Taoiseach, several senior ministers attended the selection convention in a Dublin city centre hotel, including Jobs Minister Richard Bruton, Reilly, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar and Environment Minister Phil Hogan.
Hogan (above left), who chaired the meeting, paid tribute to the outgoing Fine Gael MEP in Dublin, Gay Mitchell, who himself said he was “privileged” to serve ten years in the European Parliament having succeeded Mary Banotti, who was also in attendance.
In a speech to party members, Mitchell praised the European project, saying history will show that the EU “saw off” the financial crisis.
Prior to the selection, Senator Catherine Noone, who had been formally nominated, said that a two-candidate strategy “would have had a lot to offer the ticket and perhaps enhance and even broaden the Fine Gael appeal”, but she gave her backing to Hayes, wishing him “every success”.
Formally proposing Hayes, Reilly said that the junior minister’s commitment to the party had been “unwavering”.
The Minister said Hayes could persuade people in Europe “that Ireland is indeed the best small country in the world in which to do business”.
“Brian didn’t get in politics to make up the numbers. He’s always been passionate about serving our country,” Reilly said.
In his own speech, Hayes praised the outgoing Mitchell and Reilly who said “more than any minister in this government his is the hardest job”.
First published 9.18pm
Other candidates running for the European elections in Dublin include independent Nessa Childers, Mary Fitzpatrick for Fianna Fáil, Emer Costello for Labour, Paul Murphy for the Socialist Party, and Brid Smith for People Before Profit, Lynn Boylan for Sinn Féin, and Eamon Ryan for the Green Party.
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Ffg and thier election bull has no ends
There is no end to what this government will do to try win votes. I hope people can see through this and vote these guys out for ever. These guys can only have their own greedy interests at hand. Remember the little kids in hospital with terrible pain from scoliosis and the money that was squandered on the bike shed and the RTE bail out and the most expensive hospital in the world that facilitated a developer to have an ever ending cash cow from this government. It’s a pity we don’t have laws like they have in America where these crooks would be in jail.
@Dave Barrett:
I think strengthen the Pedo laws should be a priority
before the election.
Just in case.
FF FG GP Bribery and Corruption Specialists .
@Jim Ryan:
Bribe away if it puts money in the people’s pockets
PS
IRELAND 15th on the list of LEAST corrupt counties in the world.
@H Woo: 193 countries in UN
Micheal Martin, trying to bankrupt the country a second time. It’s the fiannna fail way.
@Michael o connor: ffg one party, one agenda.
@Colette Byrne:
Sin. Fein, the one trick pony party.
@Michael o connor:
Sin Feins proposed spending over the years when added up would have wiped out the middle income families with the tax increases needed to finance their waffle.
Again, not targeted. Oh we do love giving away money, esp when it’s not theirs to give away. People need to wake up.
It’s a few years since we protested at Shannon Airport !!!!!!!
@Elizabeth Doyle:
Who cares?
Cue, the schools will exploit an opportunity to introduce a new voluntary charge, just wait!
More bribery, more freebies, more welfare handouts, more Hamas appeasement, more anti-West nonsense, more wacky environmental policies, more disrespecting of America, does this government have no end to their terrible policies? Is Simon Harris allergic to supporting any sort of policy that isn’t left-wing? This current government has been nothing more than a Statist leach, mooching off the taxpayer and their money. At some point, the people of Ireland will wake up and realise that they are being screwed over, but it looks like they are blinded once again and continue to stab themselves and their wallets in the chest. Harris and Varadkar are up there with Jack Lynch and Garret Fitzgerald as the person who was the worst Taoiseach in our nation’s history.
@Frank O’Hara:
That’s it, get it all up, yill be grand.
@H Woo: You haven’t offered any sort of coherent rebuttal to what I said. Is that because you know that I’m right?
Recognising Palestine is so hypocritical when aeroplanes carrying war equipment flies over Irish airspace and Shannon is used as a stopover.
@Hector turtlehead:
Good to see we play our little part keeping the the free world free
Fantastic news well done government
I see the Sinn Fein (kangaroo cult) bots are creeping back out
@John Nolan: You must have great eyesight to see them in the herds of pro FG & Trump bots …. Weird you haven’t noticed them !! FG supporting Trump bots man.. Like they do stand out, considering FG has always tried to liken SF and their supporters to Trump and his supporters in an attempt to smear them.. but now it’s a good thing when FG bots are supporting Trump bots ..
have your say