Flynn delighted to be back in ‘natural home’
The decision to bring Ms Flynn in from the cold was defended by Taoiseach Ber-tie Ahern, but the Mayo TD faces a fight for a ministerial post under Brian Cowen.
As party colleagues prepared to crown Mr Cowen as party leader in a vote today, Ms Flynn denied there was friction between her and the Taoiseach-to-be.
Ms Flynn was expelled from Fianna Fáil in May 2004 after a motion put forward by Mr Cowen. This followed her failed Supreme Court appeal against RTÉ over reports she had encouraged tax evasion while employed as an advisor with National Irish Bank. RTÉ agreed late last year to accept half the €2.8 million in legal costs Ms Flynn owed for her failed libel action.
Ms Flynn told the station yesterday she was close to Mr Cowen and their relationship had “always been excellent”.
“(I’m) delighted obviously to be returning to what I would consider my natural home, and that’s Fianna Fáil.”
She insisted no conditions had been placed on her to apologise for past actions. She said she had been speaking about her re-entry to the party with Mr Ahern for a number of months, including in the lead-up to the general election.
The timing of the decision, though, was coincidental with his decision to step down, she added.
Her re-admittance to the party was agreed at a meeting of its national executive on Thursday night and is being seen as a last-minute sanction by Mr Ahern ahead of his departure on May 6.
Ms Flynn said she had “great personal admiration” for Mr Cowen. While Mr Ahern had previously said she could get a ministerial post during the lifetime of the Government, Ms Flynn said that move was out of her hands and rested with Mr Cowen.
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