Ministers rally to back Gilmore in ‘family row’

Labour ministers have rallied around leader Eamon Gilmore after a “family row” was prompted by calls for his resignation by the party’s Ireland South MEP, Phil Prendergast.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn insisted Mr Gilmore would lead the party into the next general election, while Social Protection Minister Joan Burton said: “There is no leadership question. I want to be clear on that.”

Ms Prendergast was not rowing back on her comments last night, despite criticism from her colleagues, and said Mr Gilmore did not realise how difficult the campaign trail had been for candidates.

“I have no regrets whatsoever about what I said. I was reflecting in a very honest way what a lot of people are saying — that they are not happy with Eamon Gilmore’s leadership,” she said.

“I was frustrated because we started out on a 100-day campaign and we are 75 days in and, up to the cameras lighting on Eamon this evening, he has been very lacking in taking part in the campaign in any way,” she said.

But one Labour TD, Kevin Humphreys, said her comments were “extremely unfair” on the rest of the local and European candidates, and those helping them with canvassing.

Mr Gilmore said he has no intention of standing down and that it was not helpful to engage in “a family row” weeks ahead of polling.

“I don’t think that is wise and I don’t think it is helpful either for other Labour candidates who are contesting either the European or the local elections,” he said.

“I have a job of work to do. I have committed to doing that job, I intend to complete that job of work. I am leading this party and I intend to continue leading this party,” he said during a visit to Galway.

Ms Burton, who the MEP suggested should replace Mr Gilmore as leader, said she was “surprised” to hear the comments which she said were understandably prompted by disappointment at poor poll ratings.

She said opinion polls were equally difficult for candidates ahead of the last European elections, but they got elected because they were “people of substance, as she is, who worked hard”.

Ms Burton said: “Eamon Gilmore is the leader of the Labour Party. He has my support in that and there is no leadership question. I want to be firm on that.”

Mr Quinn said Mr Gilmore was “a spectacular leader” and in 2011 achieved the highest electoral results that Labour had ever had.

“Eamon Gilmore is a good leader, has lead us very well and will lead us into the next election,” he said.

After the 2011 general election “people didn’t want a single-party Government and there was no other combination around,” he said.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he expects the Coalition to run its full term.

“The Labour party and the Fine Gael party went into this Government with their eyes wide open. And I commend the Labour party for the way they have stuck to the plan and the agenda for sorting out our finances,” he said.