SEAN GALLAGHER INTERVENES IN ÁRAS RACE
FORMER Presidential hopeful Sean Gallagher has made another intervention in this year’s race for the Áras – giving the strongest indication yet that he may try another run for the Presidency.
Mr Gallagher has until now refused to confirm or deny whether he will stand again after his campaign’s collapse in the final days of the 2011 contest.
His substantial opinion poll lead over Michael D Higgins evaporated after revelations about his involvement in a Fianna Fáil fundraising dinner and questions about his track record as an entrepreneur.
Despite not formally declaring his interest this time around, Mr Gallagher wrote to local authorities around the country last month, asking them to consider supporting independent candidates in a presidential election.
Now he has given the strongest hint yet that he may declare – writing a letter to Communications Minister Denis Naughten asking him to cut down on the costs of the distribution of candidate literature in this autumn’s election.
The Litir Um Thoghchan scheme provides for free post for a leaflet from each nominated candidate.
And in 2011, when Mr Gallagher was a candidate, he suggested that savings of approximately €10million could be achieved if one envelope was issued that contained information from all nominated election candidates.
In the correspondence addressed to Minister Naughten on August 2, Mr Gallagher outlined that he ‘formally proposed the measure to the then minister, Phil Hogan’ in 2011. He writes that if it had been implemented, it ‘would have saved approximately €10million of public funds’.
The former Dragons’ Den star said his proposed combined leaflet would give ‘equal space for all candidates and would have the added benefit of ensuring that each voter receive just one combined leaflet’. And he claims that the potential savings for the Exchequer ‘are staggering’.
He continues: ‘Just using the estimates provided to me in 2011, the cost to the Exchequer would have been approximately €1.66million as opposed to €11.63million… creating a saving of almost €10million.’
Political sources were last confused by this apparent intervention, while another Oireachtas member said they believed it was a good idea.
The correspondence was included in an email which is outlined as being for members of the Oireachtas Communications committee, and Mr Gallagher stated he wanted to bring it to their attention and encourage them to get in touch should they have any queries.
Mr Gallagher last night advised the Mail he was currently out of the country on business and was not available to comment.
So far, Senator and mentalhealth campaigner Joan Freeman, businessman Gavin Duffy, artist Kevin Sharkey, Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh, former Aer Lingus employee Patrick Feeney and independent Marie Goretti Moylan have expressed an interest in running. A number of them have declared themselves as candidates and are actively seeking the backing of local authorities to get onto the ballot paper.
While a Fianna Fáil grassroots campaign is proposing that Éamon Ó Cuív should be a candidate, if he were to accept a nomination he would have to run as an independent candidate and may face sanctions within the party as Fianna Fáil has already declared their support for President Michael D Higgins. emmajane.hade@dailymail.ie
‘A saving of €10million’