Grassroots disillusioned and confused, says FF veteran
Former senator Nioclás Ó Conchubhair called for all members of the previous government to resign from the Fianna Fáil frontbench in a bid to restore confidence in the party.
The Connemara-based grandee of the party said he would like to see Mayo TD Dara Calleary take over as leader before the next general election.
Mr Ó Conchubhair said Éamon Ó Cuív’s move had shocked the party and added to a growing feeling of despair among members.
“There’s a lot of confusion, some people are looking at it as a leadership struggle and other people are wondering are we looking at a new party — but Éamon Ó Cuív has denied that — and we are worried because we have come through so much.
“We are just disillusioned because we have had so many upheavals.
“I think this has weakened Micheál Martin and that anyone who was involved in the last government at government level shouldn’t be involved in the frontbench. That would include Micheál Martin.
“There is this kind of stigma there — and I’m only going on what the ordinary Fianna Fáil people are saying to me on the ground.
“There is a public resistance to Fianna Fáil. We are going nowhere fast.”
Galway West councillor Thomas Mannion said this weekend’s ard fheis should be used to put the party in a new direction.
“I think there is a lot of grassroots support for what Éamon Ó Cuív did.
“This ard fheis needs to be a starting point to turn the party around — all aspects of it need to be looked at.”
The councillor added that former leaders Brian Cowen and Bertie Ahern should not be in receipt of such lavish pension arrangements.
Another councillor said the leadership needed to “get its act together”.
