CLLR Pat Kennedy’s move to secure the mayoralty of Limerick for a third time has met with opposition from party colleagues.
Following a meeting of the party on this Wednesday, and with the mayoral election on Monday next, the dealing and wheeling between parties is now gaining momentum, with Cllr Kathleen Leddin and Gerry McLoughlin emerging favourites to secure the chain of office, as well as present incumbent, Mayor Jim Long
The Independent councillor, Kathleen Leddin, has frequently admitted her desire to be elected first citizen, and with the votes of her fellow Independent colleagues and a healthy number of Fine Gael votes, “is in with an excellent chance,” according to a Fine Gael source.
Her late husband Tim Leddin, had served as Mayor, as did brother-in-law Frank Leddin, and nephew, Joe Leddin.
Another option that is being aired is that a Labour deal with Fine Gael could see Cllr Gerry McLoughlin elected, but in the countdown to Monday, it has been mooted that Fine Fail’s Kieran O’Hanlon and the Independent, Kevin Kiely, would vote FG in this and next year’s mayoralty, in return for the reward of chairmanships of two of the council’s Strategic Policy Committees.
A spokesperson for FG said that the issue of Cllr Kennedy’s expenses has not yet been resolved.
“We asked him for a full explanation but didn’t receive one,” he claimed.
This Wednesday, Cllr Kennedy handed in a statement to the Limerick Post regarding his expenses claims in which he states that the issue has been fully resolved, “with decisions made by the relevant statutory bodies, namely, Limerick City Council and the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Cllr Joe Leddin, who told the Limerick Post he “does not want to see the office of mayor being brought into disrepute,” was emphatic that “the office of mayor should not be surrounded by controversy”.
