Cork mayor who quit Fianna Fáil blames 'lack of connect with public'

The Mayor of Cork County has said the public did not know where the party stood.

Cllr Alan Coleman made the claims as he quit Fianna Fáil to run as an independent in the General Election.

He said the current leadership had brought the party as far as it could. However Cllr Coleman said his decision was not a personal attack on Micheál Martin.

"He did a good job bringing (the party) so far in terms of organisation, but there has been a lack of connect with the wider public.

"The public have a clear view of where the Government parties stand (and of) where the left stands, but Fianna Fáil doesn’t seem to be positioned in terms of where it is on policies."