"I found out that I was not being added to the ticket on Saturday night. It was not a bad breakup, it was a conscious uncoupling," Ms O'Connell told The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk, reflecting on her departure from Fine Gael.
"For me, looking at the ticket as it was and in terms of what's going on on the ground, I believe that I would not be in a position to get a fair run on a level playing field," she added, emphasizing her concerns about the fairness of the political contest.
"I decided, in truth, a number of weeks ago that this was the best option for me," Ms O'Connell stated, indicating her decision to run as an Independent stemmed from careful consideration.
When asked if she would support a Fine Gael government for a ministerial role, Ms O'Connell stated, "politics is the art of the possible. It's all about diplomacy," suggesting her pragmatic approach to politics.
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