‘Retiring’ Flanagan coy on EU seat
‘RETIRING’ Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan has refused to say if he is planning a political comeback – by targeting an new seat in an EU electoral map shake-up.
Ireland is one of several small EU states in line to be granted extra representation in the European Parliament.
The Electoral Commission is expected to announce imminently that the extra EU seat will go to an expanded Midlands-North-West constituency.
Submissions made to the commission’s review last month show that Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, the Green Party and the Labour Party all favour the extra MEP being allocated to Midlands-North-West to create a new five-seat constituency. The moving of Laois and Offaly from the South constituency is suggested by all of them to ensure a balance is maintained in terms of the number of MEPs per head of population.
Veteran TD Flanagan also made a submission to the commission urging the neighbouring counties – recently separated into two domestic constituencies – not to be divided in the EU electoral map.
Intriguingly, Mr Flanagan – the current chair of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee – was coy when asked by the Irish Mail on Sunday this weekend if he is considering a run for Europe.
A Dáil source noted: ‘Leo had better watch out – maybe he hasn’t gone away after all.’
One local political heavyweight who will be keeping a close watch of Mr Flanagan’s intentions is his Government and constituency colleague, the influential Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen.’
Asked earlier this month if Mr Cowen intended to run, Tánaiste, Micheál Martin said: ‘There have been rumours to that effect.’