Fianna Fail members rebel over gender quota rule

Fianna Fáil Longford members are set to hold a second selection convention after party headquarters dictated they choose the only female candidate for gender quota reasons.

Party headquarters had directed that the constituency put forward a female candidate, which put Connie Gerety-Quinn on the ticket without members having the opportunity to take a vote.

At Thursday’s selection meeting, the other two candidates — Cllr Seamus Butler and Pat O’Rourke — demanded that the 300 members present be allowed to vote.

Ms Gerety-Quinn, who previously ruled out running purely to meet new party gender guidelines, did not speak before chairman and Laois TD Seán Fleming announced her as the candidate.

Mr Fleming yesterday described the convention as “extremely difficult for people in the room”.

He said: “People were very strong and passionate in their views and people were very disappointed that the result wasn’t in favour of the particular candidate they were supporting.”

Defending the decision, he said: “The national executive committee — who have more information and access to more information than the organisations in each of the 40 constituencies — concluded that in Longford/Westmeath we should have balanced candidates, one male candidate and one female candidate.

“We have achieved that, we have a balanced ticket. We have Connie Gerety-Quinn in Longford and she is an outstanding candidate and she will do very well and I’m sure she is strong enough to take a Dáil seat, and we have Robert Troy in Westmeath,” Mr Fleming told RTÉ radio.

Laois TD Seán Fleming

It now appears that Longford Fianna Fáil Comhairle Dáil Ceantair (CDC) will arrange another meeting next week to allow members vote on which candidate should go forward.

Spokeswoman Denise O’Flahery said: “As an executive board of the CDC we are to going to meet over the weekend to talk about the outcome. At the start of the meeting (on Thursday) a proposal was put forward that the members would have a chance to select our own candidate and it was passed unanimously.”

She said there had been emotional scenes when members were told the diktat would be adhered to and the only female candidate would be put forward.

Delegates voiced their opposition, with some even threatening a walkout.

“It was proposed at the start of the meeting that we would have our own section and we are going with that,” she said.

It is understood that if a different candidate is selected they will not be recognised by Fianna Fáil’s national executive. The party has chosen sitting TD Robert Troy as the candidate in the Westmeath side of the constituency. Thursday’s convention was to select a candidate from Longford.

Mr Butler said he pleaded with Ms Gerety-Quinn to reconsider her position, and did not rule out taking further action.

“Candidates have been canvassing for months and to be told 24 hours before convention that you are not the right gender, it’s infuriating. If the stiletto was on the other foot there would be people coming down on buses from Dublin and marching on the streets of Longford. It’s a gross insult to the delegates who paid €20 for membership and they are told now that they will not get to vote,” he said.

Fellow candidate Pat O’Rourke also called on Ms Gerety-Quinn to reflect on the situation.