03/03/2009

Former FF Councillor Defects To Fine Gael

An influential Fianna Fail Councillor has defected to Fine Gael over her treatment and the party's direction.

Councillor Deirdre Forde, who was a former chairperson of Fianna Fáil's National Councillors' Forum announced today that she was joining Fine Gael.

She was welcomed to the party by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny at Leinster House this afternoon.

Leader of Fine Gael "Deirdre is a very welcome addition to the Fine Gael ranks and I wish her all the best as she joins our local Government team on Cork County Council.

"When faced with the reality of a Government that wasn't listening to the people and was making bad decisions that hurt the wrong people, Cllr Forde decided to make a change."

Councillor Forde said she had been unhappy with Fianna Fáil's direction for the last few months, and she said political parties sometimes did not treat their councillors very well.

However, she denied her decision had been prompted by Fianna Fáil's selection of the brother of Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin to run in her local electoral area.

Councillor Forde was first elected to the Carrigaline electoral area of Cork County Council in 1999.

(DW/BMcC)

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