FF to keep job of Ceann Comhairle

THE DÁIL should have a new ceann comhairle on Tuesday and there is “virtually no expectation it will be anything other than a Fianna Fáil appointment”, a Fine Gael spokesman said.

Labour has indicated it is not actively pursuing the post, and Leas-Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin has already said he is not interested. The new ceann comhairle is likely to be a long-serving, widely-respected member who intends to run again, probably from a four- or five-seat constituency and possibly with good Irish-language skills. A Fianna Fáil ceann comhairle would be chosen from a constituency where a party seat is vulnerable.

Perhaps the most frequently-suggested successor to Mr O’Donoghue in Leinster House is Séamus Kirk, who said any TD would consider it a great honour to be considered for the position.

“Speculation revolves around the corridors of Leinster House every day,” Mr Kirk said.

He shares the Louth constituency with party colleague and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, as well as Fine Gael’s Fergus O’Dowd and Arthur Morgan, of Sinn Féin. The constituency will return five TDs at the next general election.

Another name mentioned was Seán Ardagh, who said the speculation was “just gossip”. He shares the five-seater Dublin South Central constituency with party colleague Michael Mulcahy, Mary Upton of Labour, Fine Gael’s Catherine Byrne and Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh.