Murphy could be set for a dramatic Fine Gael return
SENIOR Fine Gael figures are considering the virtues of bringing controversial by- election candidate, Verona Murphy, back to the party fold.
Ms Murphy departed from Fine Gael after a tempestuous campaign in 2019 which was dogged by controversy and accusations of racism.
Following her de-selection, Ms Murphy l eft Fine Gael, but secured a cold dose of political vengeance earlier this year when she secured the Wexford seat at the expense of sitting Fine Gael Minister Michael D’Arcy
In the wake of Mr D’Arcy’s resignation from the Seanad, senior figures within the party have predicted that: ‘Now that we have had the post-election Cold War, relations between FG and Verona will get increasingly warm.’
They added: ‘There may have been an initial degree of turbulence. It was an on-off, definitelyoff relationship, but all that is old history now.’
The détente between Fine Gael and their former, stormy petrel has also been enhanced by her status as one of a group of ‘special’ Independents Fine Gael are pursuing to stiffen the Coalition’s majority.
The party, which had expected to win the by-election occasioned by the election of Mick Wallace as an MEP, were even less impressed when they actually finished in third place.
Trouble began when Ms Murphy supported attempts by Noel Grealish to block a Direct Provision Centre and suggested immigrants coming to Ireland were infiltrated by Isis and would need to be ‘deprogrammed’.
The colourful Ms Murphy also released a campaign video on You Tube where she claimed she was the victim of character assassination in the media.
An unimpressed Leo Varadkar c l a i med the video wa s ‘bizarre’ and also subsequently claimed he was glad she didn’t get elected.
Former Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine chairman Pat Deering has announced his candidacy f or the Seanad by- election f ollowing the resignation of Mr D’Arcy.
Mr Deering was first elected as a Fine Gael TD for the Carlow
Kilkenny constituency in 2011 and again in 2016.
Another source confirmed that in the wake of the departure of Mr D’Arcy, warm eyes are being cast in the direction of their turbulent former princess.
The source said: ‘Murphy is essentially from Fine Gael stock.
‘Michael’s departure is sad, but it could be Verona’s opportunity.
All that by- election stuff is in the past now. We need to look forward.
‘Verona and Fine Gael could be a bit of a marriage of convenience. A case, if you like, of a bird in the hand being better than what might be out in the bushes.’
But they said: ‘ D’Arcy out/ Verona in may work better than convention suggests.
‘It won’t be a marriage made in heaven but what political marriages are?’
The Irish Daily Mail has learned that it is now becoming increasingly likely that Fine Gael will lose the seat of Mr D’Arcy when the by-election is held.
The electorate will consist of TD’s and Senators and support is growing within all parties outside of Fine Gael for the Northern Unionist, Ian Marshall.
Mr Varadkar must currently pick and choose amongst a raft of Fine Gael options to replace Mr D’Arcy. They include Mr Deer
‘A marriage of convenience’ ‘I am making that gentle call’
ing, the former Senators Maria Byrne and Gabrielle McFadden, and the high-profile former Fine Gael TD Noel Rock. Mr Rock’s location as a North Dublin TD is believed to have mitigated against his chances.
But when it comes to the rest of the FG candidates now in contention, the Tánaiste faces growing unease over what Green Senator Vincent P Martin called the absence of any ‘voice of northern unionism in the House’.
Mr Martin added: ‘I do not want us coming into the House after the by-election saying we still do not have a Northern voice in the House. I am making that gentle call without telling any party what to do.’
One source within Fine Gael told us: ‘Given the calibre of the candidates Leo might actually be happier to pick Marshall and have done with it.’