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Tony Kinlan

Gallagher denies being ‘secret FF candidate’ during radio debate

Sean Gallagher insists he has the support of members of all political parties, and denies being a de facto Fianna Fáil candidate.

SEÁN GALLAGHER has sought to dismiss suggestions that he is a de facto Fianna Fáil candidate in this week’s Presidential election, saying he has the support of members of all parties.

Answering questions during a seven-way debate on RTÉ Radio 1′s ‘Saturday with Charlie Bird’, Gallagher insisted that his early declaration of interest in running for president, and his campaign to seek nomination from local authorities rather than through the Oireachtas, was a sign he was a genuinely independent candidate.

“What I do say to you is, if you reflect on the process of selection and non-selection, the party decided not to put a candidate forward,” Gallagher told an audience member who asked about his Fianna Fáil links.

Why would I have been out there for so long, while Fianna Fáil were trying to make up their mind?

He also denied that any political party would “parade the president” as being linked to their own party, saying Fianna Fáil had not done so following Mary McAleese’s election as a FF candidate in 1997.

Asked about his role in helping to publicise a Fianna Fáil fundraiser in 2008, details of which emerged during the week, Gallagher said his role was “simply to let local businesspeople know it was on”.

David Norris, in response, commented that independence was not “a flag you can pick up and wave when it suits you”. Mary Davis noted that “all of a person’s background should be interrogated” when they were running for office.

‘Gay running for president’

Later in the debate, which was recorded at The Helix at Dublin City University earlier this morning, Norris and Gay Mitchell traded words over the latter’s joke about being “the only Gay who’s going for president”.

“I don’t think this is at all entertaining,” Norris commented. “We still have homophobic bullying in schools… and a candidate makes a joke about being gay? I don’t think that’s appropriate at all. It’s not what I would expect from a president.”

“David, if we were having a serious debate here this morning, we might be talking about some of your more serious comments about this issue,” Mitchell responded, later adding: “I won’t take intolerance from anybody, including David Norris.”

Davis said she had a history of supporting gay pride, naming activists from Cork who she had experience working with, while Dana Rosemary Scallon said her personal beliefs about gay marriage did not mean she did not respect those who felt otherwise.

Earlier, candidates were asked if they believed the media had treated them fairly. Martin McGuinness said he felt he had been more fairly treated by media in Northern Ireland than by those in the Republic.

Asked how he would bring some excitement to the office of President, McGuinness said the excitement around potentially hosting the visit of Queen Elizabeth would be greater than the excitement surrounding her first ever visit in May of this year.

Michael D Higgins commented that while he did not have any complaint over how the media had treated him, the election had raise “very good questions… and some that are worth reflecting on”.

Asked about what a potential president could do to address the overcrowding in hospitals, Higgins called for a national discussion on what he termed a “‘citizenship floor’, below which people shouldn’t be allowed to fall”.

More: Gallagher: I haven’t been involved with Fianna Fáil for 18 months

Previously: Gallagher: ‘I abhor many of the decisions of the last government’

Gallery: Behind every successful president… meet the spouses vying for the Áras

In full: TheJournal.ie’s coverage of the Race for the Áras

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17 Comments
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    Mute fitszpatrick
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 3:56 PM

    Gallagher is one dodgy geezer. Avoid like the plague

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 8:51 PM

    Exactly

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    Mute Oil Foster
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 3:51 PM

    Methinks that me gallagher doth protest too much

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    Mute Charles Mark
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 4:40 PM

    How magnanimous of Michael D not to have any problem with how the media is treating him. He is clearly the preferred choice of the mainstream media and has been spared the type of scrutiny to which all of the others have been subject.It looks now like one-time media darling Senator Norris was dragged across the nomination line to add spice to the campaign and therefore sell more papers, attract more viewers and listeners. How cynical! How typical!

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    Mute Michael Cuthbert
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 4:26 PM

    ‘Secret FF candidate’? Easy enough to deny that so…

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    Mute Martin Smith
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 5:39 PM

    Funny how the media forgets that Mary McAleese was a FF nominated candidate and when put forward for a second term by FF all parties supported her..Why have the print media give mitchell such an easy ride. how come we do not see the stories regarding his speech on rejoining the commonwealth,or the irish people would be stupid to reject the lisbon treaty a second time.Michael D Higgins has a past yet we do not see it in the media.

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    Mute Sean C
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 1:33 PM

    That was before FF became a pariah writing off the economy.

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    Mute Annmarie Donoghue
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 5:41 PM

    I ave 2 agree wit Martin mcguinness I think he was treated so unfairly by all media wen his secrets were out in the open before he went for president,I think we should be more werry of the other Sean is a true ff man Norris would only b a joke,Dana is speaking for the church which we don’t want 2 go there,higgans way 2 old,gay wot can I say out 2 ram us for every penny wot has fg done for us since they went into power.

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 8:53 PM

    Wot????

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    Mute Sean C
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 1:34 PM

    My brain hurts !

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    Mute Eileen Gabbett
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 11:38 PM

    Gay Mitchell really is a piece of work. I heard his ‘gay’ remark and Norris was quite right to put him in his place .

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    Mute Frank2521
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 1:27 AM

    Baldy Bertie – of course he denied he is from the same litter as the rest of the FFers. Denial is part of their DNA.

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    Mute Charles Mark
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 6:31 PM

    Could it be that the people want a little humility in their President?

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    Mute David Abbott
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 1:51 AM

    It’s worth noting that Mary McAleese wasn’t nominated by FF in 2004. She nominated herself as permitted under the constitution and was therefore independent from any political parties. She had the support of at least Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 10:58 PM

    All the one to me……its nothing more than a pipe and slippers gig…couldn’t give a shite either way..ain t voting!

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    Mute Sheelagh Hanly
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    Oct 22nd 2011, 11:48 PM

    People who don’t vote give up their right to comment.

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    Mute Brno Barking
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 11:17 PM

    PPPPPPPPPPPPPPLEASE Jebus let it end soon.

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