Galway West TD Noel Grealish has emerged as a potential Independent kingmaker in the 34th Dáil – and a commitment in the Programme for Government to funding the city’s planned ring road is on the Carnmore man’s wish-list.

It comes as members of Fianna Fáil locally jockey for position to fill the seat on Galway City Council that became vacant following the election of John Connolly as a TD last weekend.

And as the dust settles on General Election 2024, the Galway City Tribune understands An Garda Síochána is investigating the origin of a fake pornographic image of Fianna Fáil candidate Gráinne Seoige, which went viral on WhatsApp during the final stretch of the campaign.

The doctored photograph, seen by this newspaper, included a headshot of TV star Seoige, superimposed on the upper torso of a naked woman with large breasts exposed. Other than the head, the image is not Seoige, but it purports to be.

It’s understood Fianna Fáil has referred the image to Gardaí, and believe it breaches the new Harmful Communications Act. Someone is guilty of an offence if they record, distribute, or publish intimate images without consent of the person featured in the image.

Sources in Fianna Fáil said people who forward the image on WhatsApp could also be guilty of an offence.

Senior party members in Galway said Seoige was hurt by the circulation of the image, and they said it highlighted the misogyny female candidates face, which was making it harder to attract women into politics.

As new and re-elected TDs ‘signed in’ to Leinster House on Wednesday, Deputy Grealish, with 22 years’ Oireachtas experience, signed up to a new Regional Group of eight Independents, who will offer Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael support in a Coalition Government.

In return, each TD wants policy commitments in the new Programme for Government that deliver on their priorities and to their constituencies.

The right-of-centre grouping includes Grealish; Seán Canney (Galway East); Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim); Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North); Michael Lowry (Tipperary North); Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Longford-Westmeath); Verona Murphy (Wexford); and Gillian Toole (Meath East).

Pictured: Galway West TD Noel Grealish