Martin faces TD revolt over party’s stance

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is facing a major challenge to avoid losing some of his frontbench spokesmen over the party’s position on abortion.

Senior members of the party are defying Mr Martin’s efforts to reach consensus on backing the bill published by the Government this week which allows for terminations in limited circumstances.

Finance spokesman Michael McGrath and enterprise spokesman Dara Calleary are among 10 of the party’s TDs who have strong reservations about the legislation because of the inclusion of suicide as grounds for a termination.

A four-hour meeting of the parliamentary party broke up yesterday evening without agreement, and the decision has been deferred until after Oireachtas health committee hearings later this months.

“I don’t see anyone changing their mind,” said one TD last night.

“This will be our presidential election mark two,” he said, referring to an internal party split over whether to run a candidate for the Áras in 2011.

In the absence of consensus, the issue will be put to a vote of the parliamentary party to decide the position. The result would be “too close to call”, according to TDs on both sides of the argument.

Whether the party decides to back the bill or not, it is expected that some TDs would go against the whip in a Dáil vote. “There is a danger in that because it’s already a small parliamentary party,” said one TD.

However, a free vote on the issue is not favoured by the party leadership as it would show an inability to make difficult decisions.

Mr Martin told the meeting he considers himself and his party to be pro-life but that as legislators, they had a responsibility to give effect to the X case ruling to allow abortion in limited circumstances.

Enda Kenny and ministers at press conf announcing Ireland's first #abortion legislation. Historic day? pic.twitter.com/DdsWxjIeIw

— Sarah McInerney (@SarahAMcInerney) May 1, 2013

A number of TDs and senators said the X case ruling was flawed and should not be legislated for. In sometimes extreme language which described abortion as “murder”, members said they could not vote for a bill that included suicide as grounds for a termination.

Éamon Ó Cuív is among those most vehemently opposed to the proposed legislation. He was joined by Seamus Kirk, Michael Kitt, Sean Ó Fearghaíl, Brendan Smith, and John Browne. The party’s two youngest TDs, Charlie McConalogue and Robert Troy, also have reservations but may be persuaded to agree to the leader’s position.

Timmy Dooley, Niall Collins, Barry Cowen, Willie O’Dea, Sean Fleming, and Michael Moynihan believe the party should back the bill.

John McGuinness, is said to be in the middle ground but likely to agree to the leader’s position.

Of the party’s 14 senators, just five support the bill, including the only two female members of the parliamentary party, Averil Power and Mary White.