Presidential Candidate Peter Casey at the count centre for the Presidential Election in the Convention Centre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

Presidential Candidate Peter Casey at the count centre for the Presidential Election in the Convention Centre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

Peter Casey has claimed that he has a "total respect" for the Travelling community and that if he had been successful he would have invited "all the of them to move into the Phoenix Park.”

The Presidential election candidate turned up at the Convention Centre where the Dublin count is underway, saying his result was not expected.

“I was actually disappointed because everybody thought I had a very good chance of winning,” he said.

And he lashed the confidence-and-supply deal saying people wanted a strong government.

"They can’t see any creativity. Everyone is so politically correct and they’re afraid to say anything in case they say the wrong thing," he said.

He called in the existing government to give "90 days notice" and to call an election so they can vote for "someone who can lead for a change."

Expand Close Presidential Candidate Peter Casey at the count centre for the Presidential Election in the Convention Centre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins / Facebook

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He claimed he had a "total respect" for the Travelling community and claimed if successful he was going to suggest that he invite them all to move into the Phoenix Park for a five-year period and insist that schools that be put in there.

"Education, education, education," he said.

"The real reason I had a bump in the polls is because middle Ireland are hurting," he said.

He claimed they had got "absolutely nothing" in the last budget. They’re not looking for handouts they need a help up he said, with help to buy housing and "pay school fees."

Expand Close Presidential Candidate Peter Casey at the count centre for the Presidential Election in the Convention Centre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins / Facebook

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Whatsapp Presidential Candidate Peter Casey at the count centre for the Presidential Election in the Convention Centre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

However he said anyone getting help with fees should not be able to leave the country for five to six years.

"We can afford it. We can pay for third level education," he said, saying we had €8bn in the Strategic Investment Fund.

I don’t want to pay their education and for them to go off to Australia, America or New Zealand and we’d not get the benefit of it,” he said.

Asked about his political future, he said he would not be running for a local council seat because they are the hardest working people.

Asked if he would consider starting up a political party he said these are decisions that needed to be weighed up quipping that he would probably decide by lunchtime.

"Well probably take a day to think about it," he said.

He said he was disappointed because he thought he "would actually win and by the way I haven’t actually ruled it out yet," he said.

He said he did not think people voted for him because of his comments on Travellers.

"I think they voted for me because...the people who voted for me are the hard working people who are paying the bills," he said.

"Those are the people who voted for me so I’m hoping the government will sit up and listen to them," he said.

"It’s so simple."

He revealed that he had become aware this week of the Stardust tragedy, because he went to Australia in 1981 and wasn’t really aware of the impact. He said he was embarrassed and ashamed he didn’t know about it.

It’s still not being resolved as it should be, he said, saying the building was owned by NAMA and should be knocked down and a "beautiful monument" built to honour the people who died there.

There were senior people in government whose constituencies were there and who could do something, he added.

NAMA have since released a statement saying they have never had any involvement with this property.

He said that the president should step down after five years and said he would run again but then added that it could be a problem, because "I could be Taoiseach by then."

Put to him that he had received protest votes he said, "they should have protested more and I’d have got more and I would have won."

He said the President should take notice that the people are tired of him not doing anything, claiming the people are fed up of the falling number of public appearances by the president.

If they keep going at the same rate there’ll be one appearance a week, he claimed.

"The presidency should be vital and should be there to make a difference and it can make a difference," he said, adding "you’ve seen the difference I’ve made in the past week and I’m not even president."

Asked how he felt he had made a difference, he said he had "started discussions" and that’s the role of the president to start discussions.

He can’t get involved with the legislative agenda of the government and that is clear and as if should be, he said, adding that the president is the guardian of the constitution but has the ability to "make discussion points and getting people to talk about things."

Online Editors