FF set to withdraw from Áras race

FIANNA FÁIL will opt to stabilise its finances before the 2014 local elections instead of putting a candidate forward for the costly presidential race later this year.

A six-man sub-committee to decide its strategy for the presidency is meeting today and hopes to reach a unanimous verdict, despite deputy leader Eamon Ó Cuiv still believing it should contest the election.

Sources said the biggest issue informing the decision is likely to be the “scarce resources” in the party which is €2.3 million in debt.

The committee will also discuss the results of an internal poll which showed its potential internal candidates are unlikely to pull off an electoral success.

Ireland South MEP Brian Crowley, who announced last week that he will no longer seeking the nomination, polled at 13% and was not popular in Dublin; Galway West’s deputy Ó Cuiv was at 11% and former TD Mary Hanafin was at 12%.

Committee chairman Seán Ó Fearghaíl said members had to “face the reality” and decide whether it should enter a contest knowing its chances are poor.

He hit back at those who said Mr Martin was making a mistake.

“To lead us into a presidential campaign where the outcome is likely to be negative would not do anything to boost or improve the morale of Fianna Fáil at the current time,” he said.

The Kildare South TD also defended the leader against criticism that he had undertaken a solo run on the issue without consulting the party membership.

“I reject the idea that the leader has not been communicating internally with the relevant players. He has,” Mr Ó Fearghaíl told RTÉ radio.

“Since the general election he has conducted the most extensive constituency-wide tour, meeting members of the organisation in halls and rooms up and down the country.”

The rebuilding of Fianna Fáil was a “medium-term” project according to Mr Ó Fearghaíl and not something the party was going to “rush into”.

The party is also planning a number of steps to repair its finances. This could include replacing the cumann structure with a “one member, one vote” system. This would boost the finances through an annual subscription.

The committee will not announce its decision following today’s meeting but instead will wait to put it before the parliamentary party when TDs and senators gather on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a separate poll on the presidency spells bad news for Fine Gael, with its candidate, Gay Mitchell, at just 23%, significantly behind the Labour Party candidate, Michael D Higgins, at 47%.

Mary Davis is at 16%, having passed her independent rival, Sean Gallagher, at 14%, according to the Quantum Research telephone poll.