Micheál Martin 'confident' in Fianna Fáil's future as party celebrates centenary

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said his party had become "more transfer friendly" in recent elections and that this had helped win seats. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The Taoiseach said he is "confident" in Fianna Fáil's future, as the party kicked off its centenary commemorations.

The party was founded in the La Scala Theatre, Dublin, in 1926, under the leadership of Eamon de Valera, and in 2026 will mark its 100th year. 

Speaking at the launch of the party's programme for the year, Micheál Martin said there is room for Fianna Fáil to grow in a "fragmented" political system.

"We're the largest party in government right now, and largest in local authority. I'm confident in Fianna Fáil's role. We have a new cohort of very good, high quality deputies and senators in the party, which gives me real hope for the future."

Mr Martin said the fact that Ireland now has three mid-sized parties in the Dáil had aligned the country with others which use proportional representation.

"But it is a more fragmented legislature, and it's a more fragmented system, and multi-seat proportional representation, if you're a political scientist, is meant to give you fragmentation. 

Ireland was an outlier up to the 1990s because we essentially had a two-and-a-half party system. Post crash, it would become more fragmented and that has its challenges, because I think an overly fragmented parliament is problematic in terms of government decision making.

Mr Martin said his party had become "more transfer friendly" in recent elections and that this had helped win seats.

"On one level (a wide array of parties) is challenging but at another level that gives opportunities too in terms of transfers. And what's been interesting in the last number of elections is Fianna Fáil being more transfer friendly than it would have been historically, and that's helped us to win seats in closely fought constituencies."

Mr Martin also said he believed that former taoiseach Bertie Ahern could be used as a peacemaker on the global stage. 

Mr Ahern on Tuesday addressed the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee and said that a global body for peace negotiations, separate from the UN or Donald Trump's Board of Peace, could be useful.

Mr Martin said that Mr Ahern would be a "worldly choice" for such a body and that the Irish focus currently is on the rebuilding of Gaza.

"It is still very challenging, but much more aid is getting in. The next phase is the reconstruction of housing."

• Paul Hosford is Acting Political Editor.