Dooley survives Fianna Fáil cull

THE possibility of going from poll topper to fighting for the last seat was not lost on Deputy Timmy Dooley on Saturday.
In the 2002 General Election, Independent candidate James Breen headed the poll with 9,721 first preferences, yet lost his seat five years later. Deputy Dooley admitted to The Clare Champion after the 2007 count that it was sobering to watch the former Fianna Fáil councillor bow out having performed so impressively in the previous election.
Fast-forward to last Saturday, when Deputy Dooley experienced another sobering lesson watching a number of his Fianna Fáil colleagues lose their Dáil seats throughout the country.
In the wake of the national collapse for Fianna Fáil, Deputy Dooley was happy to survive, even if it meant sweating it out for the final seat, which he finally secured in the early hours without reaching the quota.
His election experience was a remarkable turnaround, having scored such a runaway success in 2007 by topping the poll with 10,791 first preferences.
Asked what it was like to be booed at public meetings, Deputy Dooley admitted it made him tougher.
He also cited the experience of Limerick City Deputy Willie O’Dea, who saw his first preference share drop from 19,082 to 6,956.
“Look at the hit Deputy O’Dea took in his votes. There is hardly a better constituency TD in the country.
“I knew from an early stage in the campaign the Fianna Fáil vote was in trouble. At start of the campaign, we went out to win two seats but as time went on it became apparent there was only one seat for Fianna Fáil in Clare.
“Despite coming into the election campaign late, Dr John Hillery got a very respectable vote. He worked hard to get the vote out and the transfer of his votes ensured I was elected.
He said people were not voting on candidates alone. “I remember calling to houses where I had work done. People told me ‘Timmy you’re a good man but we need change’. People were suffering a massive hole in their pay packets as a result of all the cuts and increased taxation, which had to adversely impact on the Fianna Fáil vote.
“People felt Fianna Fáil was responsible for the state of the economy. Fianna Fáil has to accept its responsibility for adopting some policies. Public expenditure was increased in 2005, 2006 and 2007, mistakes were made and we had to spend the last three years trying to rectify the massive hole in the public finances,” he said.
The Mountshannon man acknowledged he owed a huge debt of gratitude to the Fianna Fáil organisation for conducting such as huge canvass against such a strong tide. The 2007 poll topper admitted he became a “lightening rod” for unpopular government decisions and first came under fire following the withdrawal of the Heathrow slots in Shannon by Aer Lingus just three months after his election. He was also severely criticised for supporting the withdrawal of 24-hour emergency services from Ennis hospital.
When Deputy Tony Killeen was forced to dramatically reduce his local political engagements in 2008 due to ill-health, Deputy Dooley recalled he found himself trying to defend education cuts and other unpalatable measures on his own.
He admitted some of the “personal stuff” that emerged during the most recent campaign was difficult for his family.
“I always felt it was important to do what was right in politics, rather than what was popular. When I explained the reasons for positions I took on Shannon Airport and Ennis hospital, people rewarded me for it,” he said.
When Labour candidate, Michael McNamara entered the race, Deputy Dooley knew the Scariff man would do very well and acknowledged his base in East Clare damaged his own re-election prospects.