Flynn’s ‘five-nil’ drubbing enough for Ahern

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday retained his tough line on Beverly Flynn’s expulsion, with a pointed remark that Supreme Court judges had found “five-nil” against her.

In his first public comments on his party’s moves to expel her, Mr Ahern said he agreed with, and stood by, the decision.

He rejected appeals from a delegation of Mayo Fianna Fáil members who travelled to meet him in Galway where he was canvassing with the party’s European election candidates.

Thirteen councillors in the county have reportedly come out in support of the beleaguered TD and an emergency meeting of the organisation in the county this weekend may result in a local split.

“The Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, has made a determination of five to nil on this and it’s a very difficult situation for Beverly Flynn,” Mr Ahern said yesterday.

He said the judgment was clear, and FF would follow its rules and procedures rigorously. He also said Ms Flynn would be given a full opportunity to state her case at the parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday and the National Executive meeting on Friday, when the Ard Chomhairle will vote to expel her from the party.

However, a conflict emerged between Mr Ahern and Ms Flynn as to how the outcome of last night’s meeting had been communicated to her. Mr Ahern insisted she had been contacted by the party’s honorary secretary, Mary Coughlan, while Ms Flynn said she had received no notice, either oral or written, apart from a courtesy call from a colleague and a voice message that was relayed to all members of the FF parliamentary party.

Ms Flynn yesterday insisted her political career was not over and said she would fight the expulsion moves at both parliamentary and national executive level.

Using a phrase that was reminiscent of the situation Michael Lowry found himself in, after he was ejected from Fine Gael, she said: “My political career is there because I was selected and elected by the people of Mayo and it will only come to an end by a decision of the people of Mayo.”

Asked if his uncharacteristically forthright actions in relation to Ms Flynn, and Ministers Noel Dempsey and Frank Fahey represented a new get-tough policy, Mr Ahern responded: “I think Fianna Fáil is a large party. We have put a lot of effort into developing our rules and procedures. I am the leader of the party and I am bound by those rules.”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny yesterday said Mr Ahern had been correct in moving to expel Ms Flynn.

However, he added the astonishing speed of the Taoiseach’s move may be a reaction to his repeated criticisms of the Government’s record on honesty.

“My criticisms had an impact on the Taoiseach becoming much more decisive in terms of the way he runs his Government,” said Mr Kenny. “Out there in the public there is a huge concern about the way this Government is conducting its business.”