Malcolm’s big moment arrives!
MALCOLM BYRNE had waited for this moment for 20 years – and having tasted bitter defeat in Seanad elections in the European and 2016 General Election - he savoured every second of the obligatory hoisting on the shoulders of party colleagues after his name was called out as the winner in Wexford on Saturday night.
Deputy Byrne secured 18,830 votes, beating Labour candidate Cllr George Lawlor, who managed 14,476 votes. Fine Gael candidate Verona Murphy finished up in third place with 10,836 votes.
Deputy Byrne, 45, was thrilled to get over the line, having completed his 30th marathon in October in Dublin and he said he was ready for the challenge of several months in Dáil Eireann.
‘It’s very humbling. For anyone who puts their name on a ballot paper when you see the ballots pile up it says your fellow county men and women have decided to put their confidence in you to represent you at a national level. I’ve always believed politics is a noble profession and that you can really change things by getting involved. That’s what I want to do,’ he said.
Deputy Byrne first contested and won an election for Fianna Fáil when he ran for the old Gorey town council. He was elected a county councillor in 2009, and was chairman from 2014 to 2015.
He has worked as head of communications with the Higher Education Authority in Dublin, where he has been employed for the past 12 years,
Addressing cheering crowds on Saturday Deputy Byrne said: ‘Racism and the language of hate and division has no place in Wexford politics. Wexford is better than that.’
Speaking afterwards he said he was thrilled to cross the line, despite the fact his name was misspelled on the ballot papers, the final ‘l’ having got lost in the print run.
He said he ran a positive campaign, accusing Fine Gael of adopting a right wing strategy.
‘From the start I’ve always believed in running positive, constructive campaigns, listening to what people have to say on the ground and then offering policy solutions. Having been a local councillor at town and county level over 20 years I’ve gotten to understand the issues on the ground and I’ve also learned how you can effect change. I never take anything for granted. It’s the people of Wexford who make the decision as to who their TDs are and they will do that in the General Election.’
The central planks of his campaign were housing and health and he believes his message resonated with people, which was borne out by the 31 per cent vote he got.
‘We said that we knew what the issues were and what people were concerned about. In Wexford they were primarily around housing and health, especially mental health, but also agriculture and the need for rural Ireland to be supported and developed so we need to keep setting out these solutions.
‘When Fine Gael tried to distract from some of those issues with a strategy that was to my mind shameful. I just couldn’t believe they would go down that lane.’
He said he wasn’t sure it was a concerted strategy, but was inclined to think it was, and questioned how informed Verona Murphy was about the real issues affecting Co Wexford.
‘She said there was no housing crisis in Wexford and that there wasn’t any homelessness and very clearly we know that there is a major housing crisis so there was already a perception that she was out of touch and because she wasn’t willing to engage in issues like housing and health, I think Fine Gael decided if we are going to lose on those issues let’s try a different strategy.
Everyone can say something that’s stupid or make mistakes but I think the fact that the comments were made to three separate journalists that, to me, strikes me as a strategy.’
He said housing and health are the key issues, not migration.
‘I think immigration isn’t an issue and wasn’t an issue in this election. The only context is which it came up is when people asked where are going to house these asylum seekers when we can’t house our own citizens and that was more of a reflection on the housing crisis than anything to do with immigration. Any time that I encountered three-year-olds on the election campaign it was more about how parents could access childcare or school places than whether or not they had been infiltrated by Isis.
‘I have always run positive, constructive campaigns setting out ideas. We knocked on the doors, we engaged with people and I am just very humbled by the result.’
Byrne said he can’t wait to start representing the people of Co Wexford in Dáil Eireann, adding that he wouldn’t be voting in the no confidence vote against housing minister Eoghan Murphy today (Tuesday).
‘I’ve been on three ballot papers inside six months. I don’t think anyone wants another election so let’s do it in the New Year.’
Speaking afterwards Deputy Byrne’s campaign manager Pip Breen said the strategy was to not make a mistake and it had worked: ‘I deliberately kept it as low key as possible. It wasn’t a war we were fighting. It was ours to lose. We put the campaign out as solid as we could and didn’t go for broke. Not making a mistake was our first priority. We just knew we were in the best position.‘
He said it was a big step up for Murphy from being a lobbyist to being a politician.
‘When you are representing a lobby group you have a single task and you’re talking about what you believe in. As a politician you have to answer on everything. She will be a formidable opponent if she stays within Fine Gael.’
It has been a hectic six months for Byrne who has had mixed fortunes in three elections: losing the Europeans and topping the poll in the Local Elections; the coup de grace being his Dáil victory.
He said running election campaigns is very expensive, adding that finally winning a campaign was a proud day for his parents Mary and Myles and all his campaign team.
‘My parents are my best canvassers. They never wanted me to be a politician but they have been hugely supportive through it all. They have stood by me and I am really appreciative of their support. There are very few people who get to experience that honour of being chosen by your county men.’
Deputy Byrne said county councillors and TDs get a very hard time and come in for abuse, but they always have the best interests of their communities at heart.
‘It takes courage for anyone to put their name on a ballot paper. The volunteers don’t get any real rewards from a campaign.’
He said he is one of two sitting TDs who will run alongside two very capable Fianna Fáil candidates in the General Election, namely Lisa McDonald and Michael Sheehan, adding that they will all be out canvassing to secure the maximum vote for Fianna Fáil, a party he has supported all his adult life.