McGuinness and O'Rourke call for leadership issue to be revisited

Two high-profile Fianna Fáil backbenchers, Mary O'Rourke and John McGuinness, are now calling for the party-leadership issue to be revisited after yesterday's botched Cabinet reshuffle.

Deputy McGuinness has said backbenchers want Mr Cowen to go or be pushed.

He said the party was essentially in tatters and that TDs were telling senior figures like Micheál Martin and Brian Lenihan that they have had enough.

"We had given Brian Cowen his opportunity. He had been backed on the vote of confidence at the parliamentary party meeting during the week and we expected a lot more…That didn’t happen," said Deputy McGuinness.

"In fact it was so bad, that even his own supporters were asking those who did not support him to please do something about this over the weekend.

"Encouragement was being given to his supporters to talk to Brian Cowen and to ask the man to realise what he has now done and for him to offer voluntarily his resignation."