Aontú has not ruled out joining the Government, the party’s newest TD has said.
Over the weekend, the party won a second seat in Mayo and is still in the running for a third in Cavan-Monaghan.
Following the near-obliteration of the Green Party, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are on the hunt for a new coalition party to support them in Government.
On Lunchtime Live, Aontú’s newest TD, Paul Lawless, said he would not rule out supporting the Government.
“My duty now is to deliver for the people of this country,” he said.
“If that is in Government, then that is what we will do.
“However, I will say this, if we are in opposition, we will hold the Government to account.”
Aontú, Aontú, Aontú! pic.twitter.com/jmeJPhXJ7s
— Aontú (@AontuIE) December 1, 2024
Deputy Lawless said Sunday had been an “historic day” for his party and they had won despite operating on a “shoestring budget”.
“It’s very rare that Mayo elects a TD outside of the big three parties,” he said.
“We’re so grateful to the people of Mayo, the people who voted for me; I’m honoured, I’m humbled and I’m so thankful to them.”
'Sensible independents'
On the other side of the country, in Dublin Bay North, another newly elected TD, Barry Heneghan also “humbled” his neighbours’ confidence in him.
“The thing that I said to people on the doors, even if they weren’t going to give me a number one or two, I always asked for a transfer - and it came through,” he said.
“I was like a magnet yesterday - I was getting 15s and 14s coming to me - and that got me over the line.
“To come from fourth ahead of the oldest political party in our country, in my first ever election, is [humbling].”
Latest 🤞🤞🤞🤝🤝🤝 pic.twitter.com/ptclKb6i7o
— Cllr Barry Heneghan (@BarryHeneghan2) December 1, 2024
On the first count, Deputy Heneghan polled 3,602 votes - around 5% of the vote.
Despite a relatively low number of first preferences, he proved to be an extremely transfer friendly candidate.
“The whole team thought I was gone at the end of the first count,” he said.
“I said, ‘Lads, I’m after getting over a million views on social media in the past four weeks. I targeted every area with different videos, I told people what I was going to do.’
“I have a track record; I went into the County Council saying I was going to help disabilities and the first thing I did was ask for an accessibility officer.
“That’s what the people of Dublin like - they don’t want broken promises.”
It has been suggested the Government will look to do a deal with “sensible” independents.
Could Deputy Heneghan be one of them?
“Is there going to be a Heneghan deal here? I don’t know,” he said.
Main image: Micheál Martin: Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
