High-profile Laois Fianna Fáil member resigns over election bid

A former Laois Fianna Fáil county councillor who also contested a General Election for the party has resigned telling HQ she intends to run as an independent.

Pauline Flanagan went public after a meeting with FF General Secretary Seán Dorgan in which she unsuccessfully attempted to be picked as a candidate for the 2024 Local Elections.

However, Fianna Fáil says that while they are disappointed to learn of her departure, they say that a decision has not been reached on her resignation.

The party also insisted that she had previously indicated that she did not wish to be placed on the ticket.

Ms Flanagan confirmed publicly on November 10 that she intends to go it alone as a candidate in the Portlaoise Municipal District. She told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that she was 'heartbroken' to leave a party she has supported all her life.

"I have not made this decision lightly, as I have always been a Fianna Fáil voter and I was absolutely honoured to have been co-opted as a Laois County Councillor with Fianna Fáil in 2018.   I believe however that given my late age officially entering the world of politics, I have only one more chance at going for election.

"As I have not been added to the local election ticket with Fianna Fáil, it is with a heavy heart that I am leaving the party to go independent. I will always be grateful for the years of friendships, laughter and solidarity I received within the party," said Ms Flanagan. 

She concluded by saying that she looks forward to engaging, listening and working with the people of Laois over the coming months and stressed her ability and hunger to win a seat in the 2024 local elections.

Fianna Fáil issued a statement in response outlining the situation. 

“We are very disappointed to learn of Pauline’s decision to leave the Party. After the recent candidate selection convention in Portlaoise, where councillors Catherine Fitzgerald and John Joe Fennelly were selected, Naeem Iqbal immediately applied to the Party to be added to the ticket for this electoral area.

"At the same time, Pauline indicated she did not wish to be added to the ticket. Naeem was subsequently added to the ticket, something which Pauline welcomed.

"Some time after that decision, Pauline indicated she had changed her mind and now wished to be added. This was under consideration by the Party’s National Constituencies Committe (NCC).

"No decision had been made by the party in respect of that application by the time Pauline’s resignation was received. Pauline’s resignation came before the NCC had concluded its work.

"We wish her well,” it concluded.

The college lecturer joined Laois County Council in June 2018, after being co-opted onto the seat following the death of Cllr Jerry Lodge. She subsequently lost this seat in the 2019 local elections.  However, Pauline Flanagan also ran in the general election for Fianna Fáil in February 2020 securing over 1,700 first-preference votes. 

Ms Flanagan is the second former local election candidate to leave the party after failing to get selected to run in 2024. Donal  Kelly, who was also an FF candidate, resigned in anger before the local selection convention in 2023. FF HQ announced that Mr Kelly had been selected as their Local Area Representative for Portlaoise area in June 2022. They said at the time that he was "delighted to represent his community"

Ms Flanagan is married with three adult children and works as a lecturer in SETU Carlow and is actively involved in numerous voluntary organisations in Laois including, vice-chairperson with the board of Laois Partnership, Board Secretary with Laois Volunteer Centre, Board Secretary with Youth Work Ireland Laois, Board Member with Laois Travellers Action Group,  Joint PRO of Laois Integration Network (LIN), member and joint PRO with Portlaoise GAA Mothers and Others, Committee member with Hawthorn Drive Residents Association.