Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has extended his goodwill to previous Dublin Bay South representative, Kate O’Connell, who labelled his departure as a grim phase of her life drawing to an end. Speaking at his concluding Fine Gael Ardfheis as Taoiseach, Mr Varadkar voiced his desire for Ms O’Connell to enjoy success both in her personal life and political career.
The bond between the outgoing Taoiseach and the erstwhile TD was strained and this schism became evident when Ms O’Connell referred to a faction of Mr. Varadkar’s close allies as “choirboys”. Earning her place in the Dáil in 2016 at her debut endeavour, Ms O’Connell was an eloquent TD who fought tirelessly for the National Children’s Hospital and the lifting of the abortion ban.
She in turn lost her position in the 2020 election and opted not to seek selection for the subsequent byelection, prompted by the stepping down of the former minister, Eoghan Murphy.
Appearing at her maiden ardfheis in several years, Ms O’Connell stated her purpose was to back Simon Harris, expressing her belief that he’d prove a competent leader. She reflected on a challenging period within the party and the nation, viewing Mr Harris as the much-needed breath of fresh air.
On hearing of the Taoiseach’s resolution to step down, she admitted her astonishment and said it marked the closure of a gloomy period while introducing the prospect of a fresh start. She pledged her support for local and European election candidates, expressing her aim to assist Simon Harris in his task to resurrect the party and recover the lost seats from 2020.
Despite this, Ms O’Connell hinted at potentially seeking a return to political office in the future, noting that Mr. Harris’s leadership could certainly pave the way.
In the Dublin Bay South general election, Cllr James Geoghegan, who had previously made an unsuccessful bid in the 2021 byelection to take over from Mr Murphy, has been selected to run. The area currently lacks TD representation.
In response to Miss O’Connell’s comment that his exit marks “the conclusion of a rather bleak chapter” in her life, Mr Varadkar expressed nothing but best wishes for her personal and political future.
Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, upheld Mr Varadkar’s leadership, suggesting that Fine Gael’s historical period under the Taoiseach would be seen as a time in which Leo led the nation through numerous crises such as a pandemic, Brexit, the economic impacts of war, and increased immigration.
Donohoe referred to Mr Varadkar’s leadership as a particularly shining moment for Fine Gael during which Leo had risen to the challenges some of the hardest Ireland had ever been confronted with.
Regarding the potential of Miss O’Connell’s return and her speculative candidacy in the general election, Donohoe chose not to speculate on future Fine Gael candidates.