Niall Blaney in row with Fianna Fáil over 'not enough support'

Midlands-North-West candidate said: 'I'm not getting the same support as other candidates are getting in this campaign' — a claim that party leader Micheál Martin rejected

Tánaiste Micheál Martin with two of the party's candidates, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Ireland South) and Niall Blaney (Midlands-North-West) at the launch of Fianna Fáil's European election campaign. Picture: Leah Farrell/Rolling News

Fianna Fáil and its leader Micheál Martin have been very publicly accused of failing to properly support to one of its European election hopefuls — who is also a grandson of one of the founders of the party.

At the launch of the party's European Parliament election manifesto in Dublin, Senator Niall Blaney, who is running in Midlands-North-West had a row on the podium with Mr Martin claiming he has not received the same level of support as other Fianna Fáil candidates.

"That's a problem for me. It has been for weeks," he said. "I have never had any opportunity on national television yet, I'm the only candidate of the six.

"That is not just about me, that's about the people I represent in the border counties and Connacht. 

A row broke out between the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and European candidate Niall Blaney at a press conference in Dublin today.

Mr Blaney accused the party leadership of not giving the 'same support' to his campaign | https://t.co/GmYpDiUyT1 pic.twitter.com/CjgMvowrk0

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 24, 2024

"We need the same opportunity as everybody else to make the most of the Fianna Fáil vote and go for that second seat, it's very much there." 

It comes days after Mr Blaney released a statement criticising the Fianna Fáil leadership, particularly due to being left out of TV debates, saying that the party intended to throw two of three candidates overboard.

However, the Tánaiste rejected the claims that Mr Blaney has not received adequate supports.

He said he had canvassed with Mr Blaney, and the only candidate he had not canvassed with yet was Lisa Chambers.

When Mr Blaney said there were two other candidates out on the canvass with him as well, Mr Martin said "all the European candidates are with local election candidates".

The Tánaiste would not comment on the specifics of the campaign while speaking to the media.

“We will deal with how the campaign gets conducted after the press conference,” Mr Martin said.

I’m not going to have a public discussion on the logistics of a campaign at a press conference, that’s something we will deal with. 

“There’s huge support going to all candidates from the party, very significant support for all candidates of the party.” 

Mr Blaney, alongside Senator Lisa Chambers, were added to the Fianna Fáil ticket following a selection convention which saw Offaly TD Barry Cowen picked to run.

When Mr Blaney was asked whether he would run as an independent candidate in another election, he said: "My family name is in politics 98 years this year.

"I come from a very strong republican [family], my grandfather is actually a founding member of this party. I'm very proud of this party, very proud of the people I represent.

"So I come here today not as Niall Blaney, but as the people I represent and their voice and their frustration. And yes, apologies if I sound frustrated today, but that is as it is."

Mr Martin rejected assertions that it was a mistake to run three candidates within the constituency, saying Fianna Fáil made the correct decision due to the large size of Midlands-North-West.

Ms Chambers said she believes she is being supported by both the party and its leadership, adding that she is in the mix for a seat.

She said that the existing tensions on the ticket are “healthy”.