Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar.

Varadkar expected in Cootehill as Fine Gael leadership race hots up

The Fine Gael faithful are queuing up ahead of Friday evening's decisive poll count to decide who will lead their Party, and by default the country. Front runner Leo Varadkar, Minister for Social Protection, is due in the Errigal Country House Hotel in Cootehill this evening at around half past five.

Last Tuesday, his opponent Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney, addressed the grassroot members in the Hotel Kilmore ahead of their crucial vote, which is to take place this evening.

The tension is racking up as both Leadership contestants vie to sway any middle-ground voters.

The region is understood to have one of the largest grassroot subscription bases in the country.

Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys was one of the first front bench Fine Gaelers to declare her support for Varadkar. The Cavan-Monaghan TD is being tipped in some circles for the deputy leadership role.

The vote in this constituency is expected to be tight. Last week, Minister Coveney appeared to have the Kilmore audience on his side as he got a rousing reception there.

The Cork South Central TD is battling hard to win back some of the 46 TDs, senators and MEPs who have come out to publicly support his Dublin rival in the Fine Gael leadership contest.

TDs and senators have 65% sway in which way the Leadership will go, while Councillors have 10% and paid-up members account for a 25% say.
After the Kilmore rally Minister Coveney told The Anglo-Celt that he was taking his argument to the grassroots of Fine Gael – 21,000 members around the country. “This is not an electorate of 73 Oireachtas members.”
Even at that stage he was adamant that his campaign around the country was “gaining traction” with the membership and with the councillors and it got a boost at the weekend with the support of MEP Mairead McGuinness.

Although the Cavan Oireachtas representatives had already declared for Varadkar, Coveney was hopeful of turning them around and said he wouldn't hold a grudge against Minister Humphreys.

'I hope when she has the opportunity to listen to what I’m about – the future of the party I want to build and more importantly the kind of Ireland I want to build as a Taoiseach, that actually she may reflect on that. I’m not going to fall out with her either way.”