Collins eyes up Cabinet seat after completing Limerick electoral five-in-a-row

MINISTER of State Niall Collins was made to wait for his fifth election to Dail Eireann as he was hoisted high in the air at 2.09am on Sunday morning.

He also hopes his wait is over for a seat at Cabinet in the new Government. The Patrickswell man took the third seat in Limerick County after Minister Patrick O’Donovan and Deputy Richard O’Donoghue.

“It's my fifth General Election and I’m delighted to be returned on the fifth occasion. So it was a five-in-a-row for Limerick but we wanted it in something else,” smiled Mr Collins. 

His supporters sang Olé Olé Olé after lifting an emotional Mr Collins on their shoulders.

“I'm really delighted. I wanted to thank all the people who voted for me, all the people who gave me preference votes. Three seaters are tough to win a seat.

“It's an emotional rollercoaster. Politics is all about people and community,” said Mr Collins, who got 9,284 number ones. He said he has finished first on three occasions and third on two occasions. 

“That's the way it goes. You're up and down but I was really delighted this time around. My vote increased in this election by about a thousand votes on what I got in the last election,” said Mr Collins, who added that between himself and running mate Cllr Bridie Collins, Fianna Fail received 10,971 first preferences.  

As thoughts now turn to the new Government, he is hoping for a ministerial promotion. 

“I have served four and a half years as a minister of state. I absolutely expect to be considered by Micheal Martin for appointment to the Cabinet if Fianna Fail are part of the next Government.”

He was first elected as a councillor 20 years ago this year and has no regrets about the path he has chosen.

“Politics is hugely, hugely fulfilling in terms of a job. And I love it because you get to help so many people every day of the week, every week of the year, and right through the term of the Dail you meet so many fantastic people.

“A lot of times in politics people focus on the negatives and on the bad incidents but for every hundred good interactions, you might have one bad one. So politics is really brilliant, in my opinion, and I would encourage people who are interested in it to pursue their interest in it because there's too many forces from outside of politics trying to knock politics and politicians and trying to undermine them. 

“I think it's really important for democracy that we have people interested in standing for election and I want to congratulate all the people who put their names on the ballot paper and to wish them well,” said Mr Collins.

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He said he is listening to “a lot of nonsense, particularly from left wing political actors who are trying to dismiss the mandate that my party gets and the mandate of other parties of Government”.

“They are alleging that there has been a vote for change or that the people are getting the same again. The people are getting what they voted for and it's the responsibility of serious politicians to step up to the plate and to form a Government. 

"My party has been serious about playing our part in Government and that's certainly something that we're going to seek to do in the days to come - form a government to take our country forward.”

"We've had a very challenging four and a half years, but it's also been very, very progressive because I can point to full employment, positive growth in our economy and our really strong exchequer returns,” said Mr Collins.