Local Fianna Fáil Senator hopes to make Dáil return

Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy has announced that he has decided to put his name forward for his party's upcoming selection convention in a bid to retrieve his Dáil seat in the next general election.

Mr Murphy served as a TD from 2016 to 2020 and lost his seat in Roscommon/Galway four years ago.

Senator Murphy said he's “very determined” to win the seat back and that he had an “unfortunate situation” in 2020. He said the second Fianna Fáil seat was lost in 2020 because the constituency lost around 8,000 votes to the Sligo, Leitrim and south Donegal region in the constituency boundary review before the election. “I made a strong case to the Boundary Commission review group that those votes should be returned so we have those 8,000 votes returned,” stated Senator Murphy.

He added that as a result of this there are less votes coming from Galway, dropping from 30,000 to about 14,000 votes.

Senator Murphy feels his name is “well-known” across Roscommon and that he has a good track record. “I have a good work ethic,” said Mr Murphy. “I have worked tirelessly as the only government Oireachtas person residing in Roscommon to bring more to the county.”

He feels the upcoming general election will probably be held in late October or early November. “Once we have voted on the main elements of the Budget, I think we could see a general election called by the Taoiseach at that stage," he said, before adding that such a decision was the prerogative of the Taoiseach.

The Roscommon/Galway Senator has worked on a number of community projects in the Monksland area. “The government have funded a number of projects there and I want to commend the council for that reason as well,” he said.

Despite these recent developments, Senator Murphy said the “biggest disappointment” for him is that the government hasn't been able to sort out the Lough Funshinagh situation and the difficulties experienced bythe people of Rahara and Curraghboy. He previously asked the Tánaiste to get involved in this case and to get a legal opinion on it and how best to proceed.

The Minister for the Office of Public Works and the Attorney General are trying to work out a scheme there that can get some water off the lake this summer, Murphy said.

“I'd be very concerned if we go into another winter without having that water taken out of that lake that more homes will be threatened.” He hopes a framework will be made available to give them the opportunity to have some method of pumping water out of the lake. “The people in that region tell me if that particular lake could be lowered by a couple of foot, that it should remove any danger of flooding next winter,” said the local Senator.

Mr Murphy is looking forward to the upcoming Fianna Fáil selection convention despite it being “a time of uncertainty” for him.

“I'm very positive. I'm raring to go. I have the energy, vitality and the sheer grit and I am totally committed if I get that nomination to walk the highways and byways in every town and every village in the constituency to get that seat back for Fianna Fáil,” concluded Senator Murphy.