ENVIRONMENT MINISTER ALAN Kelly has claimed Labour will win “well in excess” of 15 seats in the forthcoming general election.
The Labour deputy leader and director of elections believes the party can recover sufficient support to ensure that many of its outgoing TDs and candidates can win re-election.
Labour won 37 seats in the 2011 general election but this has since been reduced to 33 following resignations and defections.
While some opinion polls put Labour’s support as low as 6% and winning just a handful of seats, Kelly believes this will not be the case. He said the personal work of some “incredible individuals” will ensure their re-election to the 32nd Dáil.
Speaking to Today with Seán O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio 1 this morning, Kelly said:
I’ve seen data on various different constituencies which… shows Labour are winning seats in areas where other opinion formers feel that we won’t, but we will.
When O’Rourke asked him to give examples, Kelly claimed that Arthur Spring would retain his seat in Kerry.
He said “obvious people that are hugely popular in their constituencies” would hold on, including minister Brendan Howlin in Wexford, party whip Emmet Stagg in Kildare North and Westmeath backbencher Willie Penrose.
The Tipperary TD also claimed that Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in Dublin Bay North; Brendan Ryan in Dublin Fingal; Kevin Humphreys in Dublin Bay South; and Derek Nolan in Galway West would hold their seats.
He said that Michael McNamara in Clare, who he described as an “incredible candidate”, would also take a seat. Kelly also claimed that Joan Burton would win her seat in Dublin West and lead the party into the next government.
On the Michael Lowry issue, Kelly said that Labour would “in no way categorically” do a post-election deal with his constituency rival.
“We would not depend on somebody like that,” the minister insisted, citing the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.
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