Former Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton is expected to confirm today the launch of a new political party.
According to a source, a low-key announcement is to take place in Dublin ahead of the official establishment of the as-yet unnamed party in February. It is understood the event will be hosted by up to three prospective founders: Ms Creighton, a well-known non-political figure and a councillor.
While other former Fine Gael TDs and Senators currently sitting on the Independent benches as members of the Reform Alliance would be expected to join, none would attend today, said the source.
Efforts to contact Ms Creighton for comment were unsuccessful last night.
The Dublin South East TD was one of seven Fine Gael TDs and Senators who voted against the Government in 2013 on controversial abortion legislation.
Clear platform She has signalled strongly over the past year that she would be interested in establishing a new party to the right on economic issues and with a clear platform on political reform. Ms Creighton and others
aligned closely to her have been keen to move the agenda away from, and make it far wider than, the abortion issue.
Several councillors who are non-aligned are said to be interested as are some, but not all, the Reform Alliance TDs. Denis Naughten has said he will contest the next election as an Independent. Senators Paul Bradford (Ms Creighton's husband) and Fidelma Healy-Eames would be expected to join while the three other Reform Alliance TDs, Billy Timmins, Peter Mathews and Terence Flanagan, have yet to declare their intentions.
There has also been unconfirmed speculation that other public figures including financial adviser Eddie Hobbs, might be interested.
Ms Creighton has said she favours a party with a clear political and economic vision over a loose alliance, as favoured by Independent TD Shane Ross.
In an email comment to The Irish Times in late November, she said: "I personally have no desire to align myself with Independents who come from a hard left, Workers Party perspective. Any new group should have a clear and coherent economic vision."
