NORTH Kerry TD Jimmy Deenihan has ruled himself out of the Fine Gael leadership race and he believes Michael Noonan s successor will be based in the Dublin area.
Deputy Deenihan, who was one of the few high-profile FG TDs to survive the general election wipeout, had been immediately tipped as likely leadership material.
And although he confirmed on Monday that party colleagues had contacted him on the matter, he said he believed his North Kerry base ould be a big disadvantage.
He said location was against him and he was of the opinion that the new FG leader would have to be Dublin based.
"Bertie Ahern will not always be the leader of Fianna Fail and there will have to be an opposition there," said Deputy Deenihan who narrowly edged out Labour s Dick Spring to take the third and final seat in Kerry North at the weekend.
"North Kerry is very much on the periphery of Ireland and I m not properly positioned.
"Maybe I haven t all of the qualities needed to be a national leader," Deputy Deenihan added.
He refused to speculate who he believed would succeed Michael Noonan but senior party sources have said the smart money would be on Richard Bruton, a brother of Fine Gael leader John Bruton who is Dublin based.
And Deputy Deenihan said that while it was likely that a number of the ousted long-serving FG TDs who lost their seats would seek election to the Senate, it was now time to "blood" new, young candidates and to make sure that they are ready for the next local authority elections.
"After that we can prepare them for the next general election in five years time," he said.
