Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch confirms intention to stand in general election

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch has confirmed that he intends to stand in the general election.

The Dubliner, 61, arrived at Dublin Airport on Monday after being arrested in Spain last month as part of an international investigation into money laundering.

He has reportedly been released on bail of 100,000 euro.

Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud.

Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016.

A judge of the Special Criminal Court described Mr Hutch as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”.

As Mr Hutch arrived at Dublin Airport on Monday, he was asked by reporters whether he intended to run as a general election candidate, to which he replied: “Hundred per cent.

“I’m going to sign up today if it’s possible.”

Mr Hutch said he was not worried that the case in Spain would affect his ability to serve the people of Dublin.

When asked what policies he would run on and why he decided to stand for election, he said it was not the “appropriate” place to discuss that.

Asked whose seat was in danger because of his candidacy, he said: “I don’t know… any seat will do me.”

He is expected to run as a candidate in the Dublin Central constituency, where Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald are TDs.

The other two TDs in the area are the Green Party’s Neasa Hourigan and the Social Democrats’ Gary Gannon.

Mr Donohoe, who has served as a TD for Dublin Central since 2011, said previously of the rumour that Mr Hutch would run: “I’ll be making the case for stability and competence in government and I’ll be making the case for the communities of Dublin Central continuing with what they want to do, which is putting organised crime and criminality behind them.”

Ms McDonald was asked for her response to the news during her party’s candidate launch in Dublin on Monday.

She responded saying she hopes that she and her party colleague Janice Boylan will both be elected.

“The people of Dublin Central will have a whole slate of candidates to select from, and I am asking to again return me to the Dail as they have done since 2011, and on this occasion I am joined by my running mate Janice Boylan and I very much want her to walk through the gates of Leinster House with me,” she said.

“This is an election campaign, my only focus and my only concern is for my own campaign, for Janice’s campaign, for the Sinn Fein campaign … others who come to the field, it is a matter for themselves.

“I am not making a commentary on any other individual in Dublin Central.”