Ard chomhairle to vote on expelling Ahern and Flynn

Around 95 members of the Fianna Fáil ard chomhairle will meet next Friday evening to vote on the expulsion of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former EU commissioner Pádraig Flynn and three former county councillors.

The vote will take place by a show of hands and a two-thirds majority will be needed if motions to expel them are to pass.

All five will be given an opportunity to defend themselves before the executive but may even chose to resign from the party before facing the humiliation of expulsion.

The ard chomhairle is the national executive or governing body of the party. It is made up of 48 representatives from local branches around the country; five councillor representatives; what is known as ‘the committee of 20’ which was elected at the party’s recent ard fheis; six representatives from Ógra Fhianna Fáil and three members of the parliamentary party.

The officers of the ard chomhairle are the party leader Micheál Martin, its five vice presidents, two honorary secretaries, and the party’s two honorary treasurers.

The meeting will take place in the party’s meeting rooms in Leinster House and a time has not yet been arranged.