FRANCES: I’M A CONTENDER
In a ‘surprise’ to leadership rivals, Justice Minister says that she is up for a battle
TÁNAISTE Frances Fitzgerald told the Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday that she will be a contender in the Fine Gael leadership contest.
In an exclusive interview with the MoS she said: ‘I am considering the leadership.’
The supporters of Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and even her protégé Simon Harris yesterday dismissed the chances of the country’s most powerful woman succeeding Enda Kenny.
But she believes she can become the first woman Taoiseach. She dismissed the hopes of Mr Varadkar and Mr Coveney that the race to succeed Enda Kenny will be a two-horse race.
‘What I would say is I do the job that I am doing, I look at the opportunity as it presents itself and I am considering the leadership,’ the Justice Minister said. ‘It’s one job at a time as far as I am concerned and until such time as the Taoiseach makes his announcement… but of course I am considering it.
‘I’ve been Minister for Children and I’m doing [the job of] Minister for Justice. I’ve always taken the view that you do the job that you’ve been given responsibility for. That remains my focus but I am considering it and I will consider it.
‘We’ll wait and see what the Taoiseach has to say.’
There had been a campaign of briefing against Ms Fitzgerald. Some supporters of other leadership contenders had said she would not put her name forward. There were also stories floated in recent days that she would run for the Presidency next year.
Another contender told the Mail last night that he was ‘surprised’ at her statement. He also said that he expected the Taoiseach to leave his position before a speculated deadline of May 12.
Yet Ms Fitzgerald, despite her chances being dismissed, has chosen to reinforce her ambitions, unlike another party senior figure Paschal Donohoe. The Minister for Public Expenditure ruled himself out of the race last month.
Mr Kenny told his Fine Gael colleagues last month that he will make a statement about his future as leader as soon as he returns from the US, where he will meet President Donald Trump on March 16. He will return home on March 19.
There had been speculation that Mr Kenny would wait until May to announce his departure.
A contender told the Mail last night: ‘We trust Enda to get his judgment right. The process is in place to get the timing right, to get the process right. Most important is that the Government can function through that transition process and that Fine Gael stays united. Those