Coveney under pressure with O'Callaghan eyeing up Dáil seat
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Pressure is mounting on former tánaiste Simon Coveney to declare his future political plans, after a Fine Gael councillor who topped the poll in his Cork city ward confirmed he's eyeing a Dáil seat in Cork South Central.
Newly re-elected councillor Shane O’Callaghan was elected on the first count in the Cork City South Central local electoral area on Saturday night with 1,870 votes — 342 votes above the quota.
He confirmed that he intends to seek the party’s nomination to run in the general election in Cork South Central, a constituency Mr Coveney has represented since 1998.
Mr O'Callaghan says that he is ready to win a seat for Fine Gael in what will be a key constituency for the party.
He added that he increased the Fine Gael vote by 50% in the Cork City South Central local electoral area while it declined or remained static in the city’s other four areas.
Fine Gael lost two seats in the city over the weekend. Deirdre Forde lost out in the Cork City South East area, and the party failed to retain a second seat in the Cork City South West area — which was held by Derry Canty, who retired.
Mr O’Callaghan, who is also a practicing barrister, said he believes that it is important that the new energy that Simon Harris has brought to the party is also harnessed in Cork with “new, fresh faces”.
“I believe that it is essential that Fine Gael now offers the electorate of Cork South Central a fresh, new candidate with the same energy who can work hard and deliver for Cork, both locally and nationally," he said.
Mr Coveney was the minister for enterprise, trade, and employment when he announced in April that he would be stepping down from Cabinet after 13 years as a senior minister.
He said at the time that he intended to run to retain his seat in Cork South Central, but it has not stopped speculation that he may not run.