A newly elected councillor says he will not be rejoining Fianna Fail and will remain independent.
Cllr. Declan Barry was elected on the first count in Waterford City East having decided to run independently when not selected at the party's convention.
Speaking on Deise Today, Declan said he will not be rejoining the party and is determined to deliver regardless.
"Fianna Fáil decided how many candidates they would run. I was hoping they'd run three, the two sitting councillors plus myself. They decided to go with two. We went through the democratic process. I wasn't chosen - and again, I came back, took stock, thought about it. I had three options - one was to join another party. Two was not go at all. The third was run as an independent."
"I was always going to go - but my preferred choice would have been at the time to run as a Fianna Fáil candidate. I'm very self-motivated and driven - in that I set my heart on something. I'm going to get to that goal. The way I wanted to do it was under the umbrella of Fianna Fáil."
Barry also confirmed he entered talks with Sinn Fein before confirming his independent candidacy.
"I had some talks with Sinn Féin and I considered that. That was an option - but I talked to myself. You know what? People know me and they've known me down through the years. They know my family and that - and I think if I was ever going to run as an independent this was the time to run."
Cllr. Adam Wyse (Fianna Fail) texted into the programme - highlighting that Declan Barry had signed an agreement with Fianna Fail that were he not successfully chosen at the party's selection convention - then he would not join another political party or seek election through any other avenue. Cllr. Wyse described Cllr. Barry's decision to run as "disappointing" - something Barry addressed in response.
"I resigned from Fianna Fáil, so that was null and void at that stage. I'm my own person. Nobody tells me what to do. I will do it for the people that elected me. I was voted in as an independent and I shall remain an independent for the next five years. Some people from that party didn't look me in the eye in the count centre on Saturday. I held my head up. I held my chin up. I was proud. We had done the hard work. I've got to where I did. We had to drive this campaign ourselves. We had to fund this campaign ourselves. We had to motivate ourselves. The party always was dear to my heart, I'm now outside that party and I'm my own person."
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