Fianna Fáil leadership ‘did not pressure Collins to quit party whip’

FIANNA FÁIL denied last night that pressure applied directly by the party leadership led disgraced tax evader Michael Collins to resign the party whip.

It also vowed to proceed swiftly with its own investigation into Mr Collins’s conduct to see if he broke party rules, despite his resignation from the parliamentary party.

According to a Fianna Fáil spokesperson, the Limerick West TD resigned voluntarily and was not asked by the party leadership to go or contacted by the Taoiseach or other senior party figures ahead of his resignation.