At Leinster House
LIMERICK’s only female elected TD Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, who was in a “dog fight” to retain her seat said that she is delighted to be back at Dáil Éireann to serve and do the most she can for the people of Limerick despite the gruelling that her party received nationally in the polls.
Noting that it was a close fought battle and that at times it looked increasingly possible that she could lose her seat, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan accepted that there was a “time when it didn’t looked good, but it’s never over until it’s over”.
With just seven Labour TDs were returned to the new Dail, Deputy O’Sullivan said that she was “delighted to be back and clearly it has been a very difficult time for my party with a very large number of seats lost but I am very glad that I am here.
Deputy O’Sullivan noted that the seven seats gives her party certain parliamentary rights but she said that the most important thing was that a Government is elected.
The outgoing Limerick Minster for Education and Skills said that the grand coalition was looking more likely “given the numbers”, but she said that it was regretful that the parties of the left, “including Sinn Fein and the other left wing people who have been elected, don’t appear to be willing to take the role of Government”.
The Labour TD said that this meant they were willing to stand by and let two right wing parties take the lead in Government.
“I can’t see any other option except for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in terms of the numbers – but if Sinn Fein were willing to enter Government then that would alter the picture, but clearly they’re not.”
