Enda Kenny’s successor and Sinn Féinare top of the agenda at Fine Gael meeting

Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s future as Fine Gael leader is set to come under fresh scrutiny at a private meeting of party members tomorrow which is also expected to hear calls for potential successors to make themselves known.

The issue is likely to be raised by a number of TDs at tomorrow’s parliamentary party meeting after Mr Kenny last week failed to rule out any future coalition with Sinn Féin, causing acrimony within his party.

During a monthly press briefing last Thursday, he declined, three times, to reject any possibility of Fine Gael potentially entering government with Sinn Féin in the future.

Asked to comment on the suggestion — put forward 24 hours earlier by Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald — Mr Kenny said: “I said I wouldn’t do business with Fianna Fáil so, depending on the result you gave as a member of the electorate, politicians have to work with the result. Sinn Féin seem to be converted now to a position of changing their stance.”

After a number of ministers, including Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar, Housing Minister Simon Coveney, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, and Health Minister Simon Harris, and backbenchers publicly distanced themselves from the comment, Mr Kenny on Saturday released a statement insisting such a coalition will never occur.

However, despite the statement and a six-line internal email sent by Fine Gael media advisers asking TDs and senators not to comment on the issue in order to limit the damage caused, the situation has continued to provoke concern within the party.

A number of backbench TDs said while the impact of US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, questions over whether Mr Kenny should travel to the White House for St Patrick’s Day, and the ongoing Brexit fallout will dominate proceedings at the weekly parliamentary party meeting tomorrow, Mr Kenny’s comment last week cannot be ignored.

They said regardless of whether it is discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting, the issue is expected to be discussed in detail at the party meeting tomorrow, in addition to fresh calls for Mr Kenny’s potential successors to make their interest known.

While backbenchers Brendan Griffin, John Deasy, and others have previously called for the Taoiseach to step down, the ongoing rise of Fianna Fáil’s poll support has also made Fine Gael TDs concerned the leadership question could hamstring the party as its main rivals plan for the next election.

Since the general election last February, Mr Kenny has repeatedly said he will not lead his party into the next election. However, amid suggestions he may use Brexit to hold on to power, he has yet to clarify when he will depart and how this will occur.

F ormer Fine Gael TD Paul Connaughton, who lost his seat a year ago, tweeted: “With all that’s going on at home and abroad, this [the now retracted suggestion of a coalition between Fine Gael and Sinn Féin] looks crazy. Getting to [sic] point now of where if you want the top job, time to put up or shut up.”