By Gene McKenna and Brian Dowling
Irish Independent
April 27, 2006
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?
ca=9&si=1604687&issue_id=13966
THE PDS beat Labour to the punch for Colm O'Gorman as a general election candidate.
Mr O'Gorman admitted at the PD press conference yesterday he had been approached by other parties, and Labour last night confirmed it had been in talks with the high-profile leader of One in Four, the organisation for victims of sexual abuse.
Mr O'Gorman was present at some recent Labour events and spoke publicly at more than one of these.
In 2003, Mr O'Gorman was presented with the James Larkin justice award at the Labour party's annual conference in Tralee - Pat Rabbitte's first as leader.
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| Com O'Gorman: approached by other parties |
That Labour were prepared to put Mr O'Gorman on the party ticket in Wexford will surprise observers as it already has the long-serving Brendan Howlin in the constituency.
However, senior party officials are understood to have been taken aback when it emerged that Mr O'Gorman was, instead, going to be opposing them as a PD candidate in his native county.
Mr O'Gorman insisted yesterday he was not a "trophy" candidate.
He said he joined the PDs out of conviction and a belief that they were prepared to change things.
The PDs have never had a TD in Wexford. The last time the party even contested the constituency was in 1989.
But PD leader Mary Harney said that, with a candidate such as Colm O'Gorman, the "normal rules don't apply".
Buoyed by their coup in getting the One in Four campaigner on board, the PDs are now head-hunting other 'big name' candidates.
The party believes the acquisition of Mr O'Gorman will help them attract other prominent candidates from outside the party as they bid to contest up to 20 constituencies.
However, the PDs face a major challenge in trying to get Mr O'Gorman elected, with the prospect of having to build up an organisation in a constituency where there are few party members.
While Fianna Fail's Tony Dempsey is not running again, four outgoing TDs will be in the field: Paul Kehoe and Dr Liam Twomey of Fine Gael; Mr Howlin; and the FF junior minister, John Browne.
Sinn Fein are also likely to have a strong contender in John Dwyer, who polled well in the last European Parliament election.
It is no secret that several parties would have liked to persuade Mr O'Gorman to stand for them but he said he had accepted Ms Harney's direct invitation, while insisting that he believed having a high profile was by no means a guarantee of being elected.
Mr O'Gorman shot to national prominence for his campaigning work on behalf of victims of child sexual abuse, having himself been abused by the late Fr Sean Fortune.
"He has shown outstanding, courageous leadership in Wexford and in our country for justice to improve permanently the protection of children and to serve survivors of abuse," said Ms Harney. "He is a man of great heart, intelligence and character. He has won the admiration of people he has championed and the respect of those he has challenged."
Mr O'Gorman said he came from a political background.
His father, Sean, was a Wexford county councillor for 16 years and contested the general elections in 1969 and 1973 for the Fianna Fail party.
The One in Four leader will not be giving up his role with that organisation, at least for "the immediate future".
He said that situation could change and it would be a matter for the board members of the organisation to decide if he should step down at some stage before the election.
Mr O'Gorman said: "In entering politics and putting myself forward in the upcoming general election, my first consideration was to become a member of a party that is committed to undertaking the work needed to deliver change, in the reform needed to make a real and lasting difference in all our lives and principles based upon the right and entitlement of all to equality of opportunity.
"I believe the Progressive Democrats are that party," he said.
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