THE Taoiseach has expressed his regret at the decision of Fine Gael in Cork South Central not to nominate the Minister of State for Finance to contest the seat at the next general election.
Mr Hugh Coveney, who was defeated at the party's selection convention on Thursday night, has said he cannot lightly ignore the decision of the convention and that he will consider his future over Christmas.
"I am very disappointed. Hugh Coveney has proved to be an outstanding Minister," Mr Bruton said during a trip to Bonn. "We will have to find a way of ensuring that Hugh will be able to continue that work in the next government. I will certainly be anxious to do everything I can to ensure Hugh can continue as a minister in the next government."
Mr Coveney, who was widely assumed to be guaranteed a place on the ticket given his high profile and ministerial experience, said yesterday he was not bitter and bore no ill will towards the delegates at the convention.
"At the same time, a lot of people made a democratic decision and that's not to be lightly ignored. I have to look to my own self respect and, in any case, I don't believe that time is of the essence. I don't think that I have to instantly declare my position. I would like now to take some time to reflect on what has happened and I will do this over Christmas," he added.
Asked if his resignation last year as Minister for Defence and the Marine following a telephone call to An Bord Gais regarding a building contract may have influenced the delegates, Mr Coveney said he did not think so.
"I didn't detect that at all. In fact, my present work in which I am involved in formulating the package against crime may be even more important. I think people realise that I have a national duty in this role and that I must discharge it.
"It could be that my work as a Minister has prevented me from spending the same amount of time in the constituency as the other candidates, but that's a price ministers have to pay. For instance, in the past three weeks, I left Cork on a Sunday and did not return until Friday," he said.
Mr Coveney said he was upset by the decision to overlook him as a candidate. "These people took a decision and they knew what they were doing. When you stand in front of your own people and they know you and your track record, and they opt for two other candidates over you, you've got to take it to heart. I think it would be insulting of me to ignore the decision of the convention. For that reason, I will take some time to consider the implications."
Yesterday Mr Bruton had a lengthy telephone conversation with Mr Coveney. "It was a very amicable conversation. John Bruton and myself are good friends. I know his mind on the matter, and of course he would want a minister standing in the constituency, but there's no question of him having to come begging for me to stand.
"I have to come to terms with this myself. The reality is that a large number of people made a democratic decision. There's a saying in our family, never a backward glance, and that was the first thing my son said to me the other night," Mr Coveney said.
Mr Peter Barry, a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and a close friend of Mr Coveney, said the decision of the convention was being overplayed. It was quite clear, he added, that delegates assumed Mr Coveney would be chosen automatically as the first of the two candidates to represent the party and that he was considered a "safe bet".
He added: "There's nothing sinister or political in this whatsoever. These things often happen at conventions - it's no more than a glitch and I wouldn't read anything else into it. I have no doubt that Hugh will be added to the ticket, that he will stand and that he will win."
Mr Barry's daughter, Ms Deirdre Clune, who was one of the successful candidates at the convention, said Mr Coveney would undoubtedly be added by the Fine Gael national executive, and such a decision would be widely welcomed.
"Mr Coveney is of enormous importance locally and nationally. What happened on Thursday night was a mistake, it's as simple as that. He got caught in between because people believed he was in no danger," she added.
Ms Clune is the third generation of the Barry family to enter politics. Her grandfather, Tony Barry, was first elected to the Dail in the 1950s. Her father is retiring at the next election.
The other successful candidate, Mr Sylvester Cotter, who is well known in local politics, agreed Mr Coveney was too influential a figure not to be added to the ticket. "We are all very proud of Hugh Coveney and we would be glad to have him on the ticket. Whether or not the delegates misread the situation, I cannot say.
You get these quirks at conventions and this was one of them.
"Hugh paid a dear price because of his ministerial work but as a candidate he is invaluable to the party and I have no doubt he will be on the ticket," he said. A city councillor, Mr Cotter has failed narrowly in the past to win a Fine Gael nomination in Cork. On this occasion, he had a strong support group in the constituency.