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Former Junior Minister for Science Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources Conor Lenihan

Further to reports that former Fianna Fáil junior minister Conor Lenihan is considering running in the next general election, following approaches from senior party figures in Roscommon, Mr Lenihan spoke to Keelin Shanley on RTÉ Radio One this morning.

Mr Lenihan lost his seat in the 2011 general election and has spent the last number of years working in Russia.

Keelin Shanley: “The issue for people like yourself, you served as junior minister in government, in various departments for about seven years, between 2004 and 2011. You’ve very much associated with the Fianna Fáil government that would have been seen as having brought the country into a very bad state of affairs economically. Have you been detoxified do you think at this point, or is that still an aura that would surround you if you were to run for the party again?”

Conor Lenihan: “Well I don’t think it’s an issue in regards anybody who’s served in that particular government. I think…”

Shanley: “Really?”

Lenihan: “… we live in a democracy. Well I think, we live in a democracy and people are entitled to put their names forward and I say that in particular in relation to Mary Hanafin, for example, who was elected to the county council in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. So look clearly, the public are entitled to take a view on that and of course…”

Shanley: “And they certainly did at the last election.”

Talk over each other

Lenihan: “I’m not suggesting for a minute that they overlook our previous record in government nor indeed my own. But I think people are free to seek election if they so wish to. And I don’t believe there should be some order out there that people who served in the last government would not or are not entitled to seek election to the next Dáil.”

Shanley: “I suppose, Conor, I mean looking at the fate of the Fianna Fáil party in the last election, you would certainly say the electorate at that point did hold Fianna Fáil TDs responsible for what had gone on.  You clearly believe that that has changed over the last four to five years.”

Lenihan: “Sorry?”

Shanley: “You believe that’s changed. This rehabilitation has taken place.”

Lenihan: “People were rightly angry at the previous Fianna Fáil government but it’s very clear from the  local election results which Mícheál Martin can take a great deal of credit for, is that in fact the party emerged as the biggest party in the country in those local elections. So I think it’s fair to say that the only empirical evidence we have of what the public think of Fianna Fáil is that local election results where the party not just bounced back but they became the biggest party in the country in the local elections and I believe that result alone means it will be a very big party in the next Dáil. And I think that’s something people should take note of.”

Listen back in full here

Leon Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

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35 thoughts on “Have Surname Will Travel

  1. Drogg

    Ex FF minister works in the bastion of corrupt politics Russia, its almost like someone is writing reality into a sketch show.

  2. Ms Piggy

    And in case Conor really needs telling, we all still remember very clearly and we’re still not ready to hear from FF again. Probably never will be, really.

    1. Peadar

      Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands who have forgotten, or never realised, the damage FF did to this country. They’ll be back in government soon.

    2. newsjustin

      It’s simple really. If FF members in Roscommon want him to stand, and people feel like voting for him, fine. If they don’t, they won’t. I don’t see the problem really. Loads of candidates – good, mediocre and terrible will stand.

      1. Ms Piggy

        oh, I’m not suggesting he can’t stand for election, of course he’s quite entitled. I just think that he (and other FF types especially those from THAT era) should expect a lot of hostility from the electorate. Which the electorate is also entitled to express. Such is democracy!

      2. classter

        It’s simple really. If FF members want him to stand & people feel like voting for him, fine. Those of us who have not had a lobotomy will grumble about it.

        1. ahyeah

          Horribly depressing aspect of it is that he’ll probably get elected. And I’ve an awful feeling that FF will do reasonably well in the next election. It’s the way we do it.

        2. Kieran NYC

          “Sure isn’t it all the government’s fault anyway! He’s not in the government so he must be good!”

          The Irish electorate have shockingly short-term memories.

  3. scottser

    i am perfectly entitled to run for election if i so wish
    we did better than expected in the local elections, so watch it, right.

    arrogant ladypart

  4. Jess

    Conor Lenihan, while Junior minister for Science Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources, attended a book launch for creationist because he was ‘one of his constituents’.

    If anything epitomises the contempt these people have for their office its this.

    1. Kevin

      My recollection is that he was scheduled to attend the book launch, but pulled out a day or two in advance due to criticism before the event. I could be wrong on this, my memory is hazy.

      As much as I hate defending FF, Conor Lenihan, blah blah — it’s quite possible he didn’t know what the book was about.

  5. Owen C

    Q “Have FF been rehabilitated?”

    A “This is a democracy, anyone can run for office”

    Q “But some people would still blame FF for the economic collapse”

    A “We’re the biggest party in the local elections.”

    This is delusional stuff from Conor.

  6. ReproBertie

    FF did well in the local elections so Conor thinks his seat on the gravy train is ready again.

    Unfortunately the electorate are idiots. To punish Labour and FG a lot of people will vote for these bodaigh. We’re like the parents of a junkie child. Even though we threw them out when they stole from their sister’s piggy bank we can’t help but let them back in while we all pretend they’re not going to do it again.

    1. PaddyM

      I’m not sure that they’re that much of idiots.

      A little history:

      Conor’s first cousin (Aengus O’Rourke) was imposed on the local FF organisation in Longford-Westmeath for last year’s by-election at the behest of Mammy. He then proceeded to flop as candidate (doing especially poorly in Athlone where he was best-known). FF HQ have now decided to select two candidates – one based in Westmeath, one in Longford – for the next general election. There’s a sitting FF TD from the other end of Westmeath so this means that the Lenihan/O’Rourke dysenterydynasty is shut out of Longford-Westmeath.

      Whereupon up pops Kebabs to try to get the dynasty in the back window now that the front door has been locked.

      As a Longford person, I’m not accustomed to feel much sympathy for Roscommon, but no-one deserves to be lumped with Kebabs. Not even Sheepshaggers.

    1. PaddyM

      He’s not known in Roscommon and the Lenihans are too long gone from the county for there to be much of a family vote left. If anything, the reputation of Mammy and the rest of the dynasty in Athlone will do him no good.

  7. 15 cents

    he’s the most typical politician ever .. takes him ages to say anything at all, and when he does, and you break down what he said, he’s said eff all. and when pushed further on it, he has a fit and accuses all and sundry of attacking him unfairly. he’s a weird, angry, pointless fupper and he needn’t bother coming back.

  8. Jacques Scum

    Conor Lenihan, former junior minister for Science Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources has a few former job titles that you could quote, what was his job title when he worked for a Mr Redacted company?

  9. Delacaravanio

    “We live in a democracy, well I think we live in a democracy.”

    Go back to Russia, Leninhan.

  10. Joxer

    BS why don’t you describe him as “former guy who fell asleep during an interview” or “former journalist”? lets not be given gob sheens like this any sort of push.

  11. Mr. T.

    The Irish people who neglect to inform themselves properly and can’t read between the lines of political statements and massaged economic figures will vote FF back in again.

    And they’ll do it because they see the FF government which led us into economic and social recession as a reflection of themselves. A reflection of their own greed and willful ignorance about the looming property bubble and unattainable economy built around it.

    They have suffered the penance of their greed and ignorance and so believe that FF have too. It’s a simple case of transference. They were FF and FF was them.

    They’ve said their five Our Fathers and ten Hail Mary’s.

    1. New Person A

      Mr T I
      Pity the fool
      Who calls the game
      Like the kid in school
      Who got his hand up
      His dad is a guard
      He got all the answers
      Needs a kicking? Hard

  12. WOD

    Just look at that photo! What a dodgy looking hoor. The eyes, the bag, the jacket… A thoroughbred Fianna Fáil toe-rag and they’ll vote for him all day long!

  13. nellyb

    Google-translated blurb on C.Lenihan from russian economic forum (http://www.gaidarforum.ru/ru/exp-bio.php?news_cid=2206&news_id=8899)
    “Conor Lenihan
    Vice President for International Partnerships Fund “Skolkovo”, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Ireland (2007-2011 biennium).
    At the moment, one of the leaders of the Polish Oil and Gas Company Mission San Leon Energy.
    Prior to March 2011 served as Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in Ireland.
    In 2007 he became the first in the history of the country the Minister for Integration.
    In 1997 he was elected to the Irish Parliament.
    In the 1980s. He covered the political life of the United Kingdom for “Irish News”.
    He was educated at Belvedere College, University College Dublin, Dublin City University Business School and INSEAD. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics, history and political science, and received a graduate degree in communications and a course at INSEAD young managers.”

    Loved and cherished!

  14. Emma-Jane Dempsey

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! *Slams face against wall over and over again* Why don’t we have ANY accountability! Can we PLEASE fill some boats with these fossils and push them off the island?? PLEASE?!!!!

  15. 15 cents

    he says nothing ever .. like most of the politicians we have, as soon as he hears a question he just lets his mouth reel off as many safe words as it knows while his brain takes a back seat. any interviews with him are incredibly frustrating. just hearing someone avoiding answers and slinging nonsensical sentences together is infuriating. theyre all the same. its like the worst skill you can have, done badly.

  16. Clo

    Mary Hanafin, Conor Lenihan, can’t wait til they resurrect Dick Roche. Shur it’ll be like the good old days…

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