THERE IS growing speculation the now retired TD Jackie Healy-Rae may replace his son Michael Healy-Rae on Kerry County Council after the latter’s election to the 31st Dáil.
Some four seats must be filled on Kerry County Council, along with one seat on Tralee Town Council, as a result of the general election. Three of the vacancies are in electoral areas in the Kerry South constituency. Early indications are that family connections will play a large part in the filling of three of the four seats in the county council.
Mr Healy-Rae snr, who turns 80 on Wednesday, is in good health. He has never lost his appetite for local politics and was a fierce critic of the ending of the dual mandate in 2003. He considered backing a challenge to the legislation precluding Oireachtas members from also holding local authority seats.
Sources close to the family have confirmed the proposition that he take over the council seat “is being given serious consideration”.
Meanwhile, a row has erupted over former Fianna Fáil councillor and now Independent TD Tom Fleming’s old Kerry County Council seat. Sources say Fianna Fáil is claiming the filling of the vacancy is a matter for the party, as Mr Fleming was an FF councillor when he won the seat in the Killarney electoral area.
The 2001 Local Government Act seems to support this claim.
The Fleming camp wishes to fill the seat with their own nominee and former councillor, Brian O’Leary. However, the party wants the vacancy to be filled by either of two sitting FF Killarney town councillors – Tom Doherty, or John O’Donoghue of the Gleneagle hotel group.