Fine Gael ‘soliders’ ready for General Election battle: Minister Phelan

MINISTER John Paul Phelan said he is delighted with Fine Gael’s performance in the Kilkenny local elections. And he warned the party’s “soldiers” are ready to do battle if a General Election is called soon.

Minster Phelan told KilkennyNow.ie: “The party membership are ready, the soldiers are on the ground and ready to go when they have to be.”

The Ferrybank-based Kilkenny TD (pictured with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar) insisted there is no timeframe within Government for the next national election, but he added: “There would be no fatigue among the party members for two campaigns in the one year. We are already prepared if an election were to be called.”

Minister Phelan was Fine Gael’s Director of Elections for the local elections. And he said the result in Kilkenny, where the party increased its presence on the council from seven to nine seats, was “a very pleasing result”.

He added: “We are very happy. In Carlow we held all our seats and were unlucky not to gain one, so it was a good result all round.”