Martin defends his decision to appoint O’Dea

FIANNA FÁIL leader Micheál Martin has defended his decision to appoint Willie O’Dea to his frontbench less than a year after the Limerick TD had to resign from cabinet for smearing a political rival.

Mr O’Dea’s selection raised eyebrows around Leinster House, but Mr Martin defended the wisdom of his decision and brushed aside concerns.

He said Mr O’Dea had “paid a heavy price … both politically and financially” for what he had done, but was a politician of considerable talent who remained committed to his constituents.

“I’ve known Willie for a long time. I say this without hesitation or without equivocation: he is one of the most talented people in Leinster House, particularly in financial, taxation and the business area and he also represents, I think, the working class and the less well-off in our society… He’s a significant addition to the frontbench.”

Mr O’Dea has been made spokesman on communications, energy and natural resources, but it’s expected his chief role during the campaign will be to attack opposition policies.

However, he may prove vulnerable to attack himself, given the reasons he was forced from cabinet.

The controversy stemmed from a 2009 newspaper interview in which Mr O’Dea smeared a political rival by linking him to a brothel.

Mr O’Dea subsequently swore an affidavit in which he denied making the remarks, only for a recording of the interview to prove that he had. In December 2009 he apologised and paid damages to the victim of the smear, Sinn Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan, but insisted the untrue affidavit had been an honest mistake based on a flawed recollection of the interview.

However, growing political pressure eventually forced Fianna Fáil’s then coalition partners the Greens to seek his resignation in February 2010. Mr O’Dea later said he would take the circumstances of his forced departure “to my grave”.

Elsewhere in his new frontbench, Mr Martin named Minister Mary Hanafin as his deputy leader.

With the exception of Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Mr Martin also retained all the other current Fianna Fáil cabinet members as spokespersons on the ministerial portfolios they currently hold.

They included Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, who will remain the party’s spokesman on finance.

This is despite the fact that Mr Martin, when battling for the leadership recently, criticised the manner in which the circumstances surrounding the EU/IMF bailout had been communicated to the cabinet last year.