Threadbare support for under-fire smoking offender in home turf
One of the party’s longest-serving county councillors Nora Flynn said the ban is now the law of the land whether they like it or not, and Mr Deasy knew full well when he decided to light up in the members’ bar in the Dáil.
A smoker, Cllr Flynn, whose husband is also a leading publican in Cappoquin, said people in public life have a duty to give example and to lead by it.
“I accept, however, Mr Deasy has his own way of doing things and at the end of the day it is his constituents who will pass judgment on him,’’ she said.
Cllr Flynn said the Dungarvan-based TD has had a fractious relationship with party leader Enda Kenny since he was elected to the Dáil in 2002 but has had a similar relationship with some of his own county councillors.
“As our party spokesperson on justice, he would have been expected to give and to lead by example, and in my view the party leader had no choice other than to do what he did,” said Cllr Flynn.
Those views were shared by county councillor Geraldine Veale of Clashmore who was co-opted to the council in recent months to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr Deasy under the dual mandate requirement.
The majority of telephone calls yesterday to the local WLR FM radio station were also critical of Mr Deasy.
However, one prominent party member who is standing by Mr Deasy is Dungarvan town councillor Damien Geoghegan, who would be regarded as one of his closest and most trusted confidantes.
Cllr Geoghegan pointed out Mr Deasy was prevented from gaining access to an area in the Dáil where he would have been permitted to smoke and it was in response to that refusal that he did as he did.
“Did not the staff member or members involved fail in their duty by not allowing Mr Deasy access to the smoking area?” asked Cllr Geoghegan.
He is insistent the punishment meted out to his friend and colleague by the party leader is excessive: “Is there any employee in the country this week going to have to pay as high a price as John Deasy?’’
Cllr Geoghegan said he will be an immense loss to the Fine Gael front-bench but if people expected him to now sit quietly on the back-benches they would be well wide of the mark.
“John Deasy is a rebel, a bit of a maverick, but he has been hung out to dry because he smoked a cigarette where he shouldn’t have,’’ Cllr Geoghegan added.
