Charlie Flanagan announces ‘Job Done’ in election count centre

‘JOB done’, was how retiring Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan described the first count result of votes for his party colleague Willie Aird who landed just short on 9,269 of the 9,570 quota in the election count centre in Portlaoise.

He said: “Willie has worked at the coalface of politics a long time, 45-years, at local level. His vote is testament to that hard work and vigor and I have no doubt that he will bring that to the floor of Dáil Éireann.” 

“It looks like the second seat will go to Fianna Fáil and the third to Brian Stanley, which really would be no surprise.” 

Asked how he felt watching the proceedings in the count centre and his name not on the ballot paper he said: “It’s a day of mixed emotions. I have stood in count centres over the years in Laois/Offaly and in Laois when we had good results and when we’ve had pretty bad bleak results. For me over my career it has been a game of snakes and ladders. But, this is a good day for Fine Gael today in Laois and a good day for Willie Aird. We had a one candidate strategy for the first time and glad to see that seems to have paid off in a significant way.”

 Deputy Flanagan said he has no specific plans now that he is retiring from active politics but is “looking forward to taking some time out.”

“I’m doing some work in Northern Ireland with a group called Co-Operation Ireland on reconciliation and peace-building with cross communities, and I’ll do a bit more of that. There are a number of other issues from an International perspective that I may become involved in. But my goal over the past few weeks was to begin my retirement with a good result in Laois and that seems to be happening, and I’m pleased.” 

He said: “I enjoyed a great career. I’ve had great opportunities. I’ve served in the highest offices in the state in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and in the Department of Justice. I would never had done so if it wasn’t for the confidence that was placed in me by the people of county Laois and of Laois/Offaly. I’m really grateful for that and I very much appreciated it and I thank everyone for their support for me over the years.” 

With Willie Aird just short of being elected to Dáil Éireann and vacating his council seat that he held continuously for the past 45-years Deputy Flanagan was asked who he would like to see coopted in his place he replied: “I won’t get into that. That’d be a matter for the Fine Gael organisation. I’ve heard nothing, I’m just a foot solider now.”

Tongue in cheek he was asked if he had any plans to serve again as a county councillor, with a typical political answer he laughed saying: “Let’s wait and see.”