Party outcry sees Chambers depart from Fianna Fáil ard comhairle committee

Senator makes way for disability minister Anne Rabbitte

Lisa Chambers had been formally nominated and ratified to the party’s ard comhairle committee in the past two weeks. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Internal wrangling in Fianna Fáil has led to the departure of senator Lisa Chambers from its national executive.

Ms Chambers was formally nominated and ratified to the party’s ard comhairle committee in the past two weeks, but following an outcry from within the party, she stood down to make way for disability minister Anne Rabbitte.

Nominations for the position of female parliamentary party representative were opened last May and, at that stage, Ms Rabbitte and Fingal senator Lorraine Clifford Lee were nominated.

Ms Chambers was also nominated at this stage by other party members.

Once she was aware of Ms Rabbitte’s nomination, Ms Clifford Lee made it known that she was happy to step back.

The party’s ard fheis was delayed from May until the end of September and again party officials said nominations would not be re-opened and thus Ms Rabbitte’s name was the only one going forward, party members understood.

A party spokesperson said Senator Lisa Chambers was one of the duly nominated candidates at the close on nominations on 29 April 2022 for Female Parliamentary Party representative to the Ard Chomhairle. Any assertion to the contrary is completely incorrect.

The party believed Ms Rabbitte had pulled out and put Ms Chambers' name forward to the ard comhairle.

However, unbeknownst to Ms Rabbitte, Ms Clifford Lee, or others in the party, Ms Chambers was ratified without any election taking place or notice being given.

At that point, deep disquiet was voiced by Ms Rabbitte and, in a matter of hours, Ms Chambers was replaced by Ms Rabbitte.

Both Ms Rabbitte and Ms Clifford Lee declined to comment when contacted by the Irish Examiner.

Ms Chambers confirmed her departure from the national executive role. 

“Yes, that’s correct. Anne wanted to do it and I was happy to facilitate," said Ms Chambers.

I never sought a nomination but was nominated anyway by some colleagues. 

A spokeswoman for the party said this election took place over an unusually elongated period due to the delayed ard fheis.

At the close of nominations for this vacancy, three candidates were duly nominated. A party official contacted all nominees and following those conversations understood two candidates were not contesting and one remained, a spokeswoman said.

“However, in recent weeks, one of the candidates, who it was previously believed had withdrawn from the election, indicated that they had not. On that basis, all three candidates were then asked again to confirm if they wished to contest or not. After this process, two candidates had withdrawn, with one remaining.” 

Meanwhile, sitting male ard comhairle representative, senator Ned O’Sullivan, has pulled out of the race with Cork North Central TD Padraig O’Sullivan to “avoid any unnecessary dividing of the party”.

“The regular flow of information to the media from members is one of our greatest weaknesses, and a contest of this nature will undoubtedly lend itself to further negative commentary and speculation,” he said.