Lombard: ‘I’ll fight to win back FG seat in CSW’

FINE Gael Senator Tim Lombard has confirmed his intention to run for the Dáil in Cork South West in the general election.

Sen Lombard narrowly missed out on a seat in 2020, with now Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns storming through to take the third and final seat in West Cork.

It’s clear that Sen Lombard feels he has unfinished business, and he dismissed linking him to a switch to Cork South Central, where it is unclear if Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney will contest the election.

‘If Simon decides not to run, there’d be a great opportunity for someone there. Maybe Jerry Buttimer. But it won’t be me. My family home is in Cork South West and I have invested all my efforts in West Cork,’ said the senator.

‘I have a dedicated team and we’ve been working for the last four years on the goal of winning back that seat. That work started on Saturday, February 8th 2020 at the count centre when we only just lost out by 500 votes.

‘For the past four years we have been working tirelessly. We have been calling to houses, we have been having clinics. We have a full-time office in the constituency. We have a dedicated and hard-working team and we’re determined to win the seat for Fine Gael.’

Cork South West was traditionally a strong constituency for Fine Gael, and 2020 was the first time in 60 years that no Fine Gaeler was elected.

The party was reduced to just one seat in 2016 when Noel Harrington missed out, with Michael Collins entering the fray. In 2020 with Collins topping the poll, and Christopher O’Sullivan elected for Fianna Fáil, Sen Lombard lost out to Holly Cairns.

Sen Lombard had been more than 2,000 votes clear for Deputy Cairns but the Social Democrat surged on transfers from Cllr Paul Hayes, who was eliminated on the seventh count.

Meanwhile, Minister Coveney this week confirmed he will step down from the cabinet when the Dáil resumes, and this may see him depart the political arena completely.

‘Simon is a former Tánaiste, a former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Defence. We will miss his unique experience,’ said Sen Lombard.

‘This is a time of renewal for Fine Gael and there will be new opportunities.’