COUNCILLOR Karen Coakley has announced her resignation from the Fine Gael party with immediate effect.

Cllr Coakley announced her resignation at a Fine Gael AGM last night. The Skibbereen based councillor will now become an Independent councillor.

Ms Coakley who ran as a candidate in the 2020 General Election for Fine Gael cited ‘disillusionment’ and the lack of support she received from some quarters within the party as a key factor in her decision to leave the party. She said the party is ‘out of touch’ and not interested in change. 

“I have always been a proud member of Fine Gael. However, considering the events of the General Election in 2020 and the lack of support I received, I am beyond disillusioned with Fine Gael. I believe they are not listening to people. The party is out of touch with the electorate and not interested in change,” she said.

Fine Gael ran two candidates in the 2020 General Election in Cork South West in Senator Tim Lombard and Karen Coakley but the party failed to win a Dáil seat for the first time in over 60 years. 

The campaign was fractious throughout with hundreds of party members in the constituency signing a petition asking for former councillor Noel O’Donovan to be added to the ticket, Councillor Coakley said she did her best to ensure Senator Lombard was elected. 

“I was asked to be Senator Tim Lombard’s running mate. I was not naive enough to think that I would be elected and heading for the Dáil. It was about vote transfers and keeping a seat in Cork South West, not about me.

“I am a team player and geographically it was the right thing to do as my transfers would help to elect Tim. I am appalled those members who created these problems have not been reprimanded to date and were allowed renew their membership without question. These people are responsible for the loss of a Dáil representative in Cork South West,” she added.