Toiréasa Ferris hoping to succeed retiring father Martin as Sinn Féin TD
Sinn Féin Councillor Toiréasa Ferris confirmed today that she will be putting her name forward for selection at the party convention on December 1.
"About a year or a year and a half ago, I started discussing it with my husband," she said on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
"To be honest, a lot of the reason that I haven’t put my name forward to stand at a national level is because he was not happy about it, as he is under a lot of pressure when I’m not around.
"We started to discuss it ... and with the year that has passed, and Martin McGuinness’s death, and good news on the health front for myself, we decided that this was the time now to do it.
"So if members of Sinn Féin in Kerry are happy to select me as their representative, I’m happy to put my name forward."
In the interview today, Councillor Ferris also said that some of her family were unhappy today, as they were unaware of the announcement that was made at the weekend that her father, Martin Ferris, would not contest the next election.
"It’s a matter of controversy in my family this morning, because a lot of the members of the family didn’t know, other than those who are Sinn Féin members," she said.
"The local party members knew. My father spoke to us a few weeks ago, and he sent a letter to every member last week, to say that he wouldn’t be standing again and that there would be a convention on December 1.
"But for other party members around the country, it came as a shock.
"I didn’t know myself that Gerry (Adams) was going to announce it publicly until 10 minutes before I went on stage (at the Ard Fheis).
"That’s part of the reason that it was so difficult for me, because I knew what was coming, and I knew how the party members would feel about it, especially about Gerry Adams himself."
Councillor Toiréasa Ferris was interviewed on An Saol ó Dheas on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta today.
