Independent Ireland leader says he is in talks to recruit Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins. File photo RollingNews.ie

Michael Collins

The party is holding its annual conference in Galway this weekend.

LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

INDEPENDENT IRELAND HAS faced booming membership interest, including from government party supporters, in the past week following the fuel crisis protests according to the party leader Michael Collins.

The party is holding its annual conference in Galway this weekend, fresh off a week that saw it boosted by the success of the fuel protests.

Collins told reporters yesterday that they have had councillors from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael contact them, but he said the party is "primarily" getting contacted by councillors in Fianna Fáil.

Expanding on it today on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, Collins said there is "dissatisfaction" from those parties' members.

He said that not all of the discussions they have with councillors will be successful but added that where they bear fruit, "We will be announcing candidates I would expect in the very near future."

Speaking to reporters during the party conference in Galway yesterday, Collins said that the party has seen a "huge increase" in interest, to the point that it nearly crashed their website this week.

Its candidate in next month's Galway West by-election is councillor Noel Thomas who defected from Fianna Fáil to join the party.

He estimated that there has been around a "40% increase" in membership applications.

Rhetoric of TDs

On both The Week in Politics and This Week programmes on RTÉ today, Collins was questioned about heightened rhetoric from his Cork TD Ken O'Flynn.

On a podcast with Eddie Hobbs, O'Flynn had likened the moves by gardaí and use of a Defence Forces vehicle to end blockades as something that would be associated with "South America and dictatorships".

Asked about the claim today by broadcaster Paul Cunningham, Collins said he "does not want any Independent Ireland people to inflame" a situation as he defended the reaction of his party to the fuel protests.

"We don't have a whip so it leaves people sometimes saying what they might want to say, that I don't totally agree," Collins added.

Asked if, as party leader, he would tell his TDs to change their rhetoric, Collins said he has "done that before with individuals".

The Cork South-West TD added that he has asked party members in the past to "tone down their language" but said that fuel protests included an array of "angry and hurt" constituents who then contacted their TDs to pass on that frustration.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.