Fine Gael’s byelection chances in Cork North Central were “impacted” by the controversy surrounding outgoing TD Dara Murphy, who was double-jobbing between Dublin and Brussels, it has been claimed. In a prepared statement to the Irish Examiner, Mr Burke said: “We had a very good campaign and my team and supporters couldn’t have worked harder. While Fianna Fáil’s Padraig O’Sullivan surpassed his first-preference count, Mr Burke managed to boost Fine Gael’s overall vote. Mr Murphy and a running mate at the last election in 2016 secured 17.8% of votes, while Mr Burke last Friday won over 21% of the vote, boosting Fine Gael’s position. It is understood that Mr Burke’s campaign teams on doorsteps received complaints from voters about Mr Murphy.

Source: Irish Examiner December 05, 2019 00:00 UTC