Fianna Fáil ‘needs to hold its nerve,’ says Martin

FIANNA FÁIL needs to “hold its nerve” and continue with deeply unpopular decisions in the hope that public support will return in time, a senior minister has said.

It came as Taoiseach Brian Cowen acknowledged the “upset” of party members about Fianna Fáil’s low standing in the polls.

The developments came as backbench TDs grow increasingly nervous about the Government’s – and their own – prospects.

One Fianna Fáil TD, Jim McDaid, predicted that the coalition wouldn’t survive into next year. Another Fianna Fáil TD, Mattie McGrath, took the unusual step of publicly naming ministers he felt should be dropped from Cabinet as the Taoiseach considers a reshuffle.

Asked yesterday if the reshuffle would be enough to revive Fianna Fáil’s fortunes, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin urged the party to hold its nerve. He claimed the European Commission’s approval of the Government’s bank bailout was a sign that there was confidence internationally in the coalition’s approach.

“We’ve had a difficult 18 months, basically because of the worst economic recession since the 1930s. The news from the European Commission sanctioning the NAMA proposals… is a further indication that internationally there’s a lot of confidence in this Government and its capacity to take the country through what has been the worst recession since the 1930s,” he said.

“And I think we should hold our nerve as a party and accept that there’s going to be anger and annoyance over the measures that we’ve had to take, but I think in the fullness of time, it will reflect well on the Fianna Fáil party if we have been seen to do the right things by people when we come through this recession.”

Mr Martin’s comments came after Taoiseach Brian Cowen acknowledged to party members that Fianna Fáil’s low ratings in the polls were a major cause for concern.

Mr Cowen told a meeting of the national executive of Fianna Fáil on Thursday night that he understood members’ worries.

“He said he understood that everybody was very upset about where we are in the polls, and that no-one was more upset than him,” according to one person present. Mr Cowen acknowledged to the executive, that the organisation needed to be restructured and reformed.

Speaking in Cork yesterday, Mr Martin agreed that reform was necessary.

“I’ve had discussions with the Taoiseach on that. We’ve had some meetings here locally as well. Every organisation has to change its organisational structure, and it’s my view that the organisational structure needs to be changed, or complemented or enhanced, to meet the needs of a different and changing society,” he said.