McGrath: 'Not the time' to be talking about ousting Martin
Mr McGrath said that for Fianna Fáil to succeed, they need to support the Taoiseach
Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has delivered a shot across the bows of his colleagues who are seeking to oust Micheál Martin saying it is “not the time” for such antics.
Mr McGrath, who shares a constituency with the Taoiseach in Cork South Central, said while the odds were against Fianna Fáil in Dublin Bay South, the party is “obviously disappointed” with the result of the by-election.
He said the voters have given a message and “we will learn from this”.
In a significant intervention amid calls for Mr Martin to resign, Mr McGrath said the party must support its leader and his team and work in the interests of the public at large.
“We are listening. There will be an opportunity for everyone in the party to have their say and give their views. That said, this is not a time for us to be talking about ourselves,” he said.
“I believe people are much more interested in the issues that matter to them in their day-to-day lives. We've the privilege of serving in govt and the opportunity to deliver positive, lasting change. That is what we will ultimately be judged on,” he added.
Mr McGrath said that for Fianna Fáil to succeed, “we need to support our Taoiseach, our team, work together, have unity of purpose and show the public that their concerns are our priorities at all times”.
Jim O’Callaghan, meanwhile, has said he wants to be the next leader of Fianna Fáil and that the party should hold a special meeting to discuss the fallout of the disastrous Dublin Bay South by-election.
He said he is backing a call from Offaly TD Barry Cowen for the party to hold a special in-person meeting as soon as possible to discuss the “shockingly bad result” for Fianna Fáil.
“We can't just ignore the result and we shouldn't shy away from the result," he said.
"We need to have a meeting to address the results of the by-election and the general election in 2020, we've had a review into that, that hasn't been published yet.”
Mr O’Callaghan said he would not put his name to a motion of no confidence in Taoiseach Michéal Martin and said he has not been contacted by anyone about such a motion.
He said in his belief he did not think Mr Martin would lead the party into the next General Election.
“Well, if it [the government] goes full term we're talking about 2025, and obviously I'm conscious that Micheál Martin doesn't want to say anything that can undermine his current position, and I don't want to contribute to that.
"But I would have thought it's unlikely that in 2025 Micheál Martin will be leading Fianna Fáil into an election, that's just my own view,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
It comes as Education Minister Norma Foley rejected calls from a party colleague for Mr Martin to resign as party leader.
Ms Foley said the constituency is not a natural stronghold for Fianna Fáil and the party was never likely to win, but she also paid tribute to Mr Martin and his leadership.
“The Taoiseach is a solutions-focused leader and has led the country through a very difficult period in terms of the pandemic,” she said.
Ms Foley was responding to a call from Sligo TD Marc MacSharry for Mr Martin to resign as party leader.
It follows the party’s poor performance in the Dublin Bay South by-election.
Fianna Fáil candidate Deirdre Conroy won just 4.6% of the first preference vote, the party’s worst-ever by-election result.
Mr MacSharry is calling for Mr Martin to resign, citing the summer recess as the time to discuss the matter.
“The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned, quite frankly,” he said.
“It’s not my preference that he would lead us into the next general election.
"I think that a party with a performance of below 5% – with the history, culture and heritage of Fianna Fáil – must address that as a matter of the utmost urgency.”
He added that as the summer recess approaches, there “would be no better time to deal with these matters”.
Speaking to Newstalk, Mr MacSharry said that 10 years as leader is a "substantial period" and that due to the smoking ban and other issues, the Taoiseach's “legacy is secure”.
He stated: "Obviously, it’s a personal view. It would be a matter for the party as a whole.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has defended Mr Martin saying he has full confidence in the party leader.
“I think he is doing a really good job in what is an incredibly difficult period for the country.”
The comments come as former agriculture minister Barry Cowen called for a special meeting of the party following the by-election.
Mr Cowen said that while the result was “alarming” it was not “hugely surprising.”
In an email to party members, he also called last year’s general election performance “dismal” in his email.
“I know it is considered better not to have an election post mortem too soon after the event but such a delay is simply inexplicable at this stage,” he wrote.
Mr Cowen said it is now “imperative” that the party's performance in the by-election and General Election comes “under the microscope” of the parliamentary party.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Martin rejected any suggestion about his leadership of Fianna Fáil being in doubt.
He said it is still his intention to become Tánaiste and will lead the party into the next General Election.
Labour’s Ivana Bacik won Thursday’s by-election, seeing off Fine Gael's James Geoghegan on the ninth count.
Ms Bacik led the way from the early tallies until the final count, having taken over 30% of the votes, outperforming her party's national polling by 10 times.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
