Calls for unity in Fianna Fáil as TDs pause bid to trigger leadership race
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and members of Fianna Fáil's parliamentary party unveiled Jim Gavin as the party's presidential candidate on September 9. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
Senior Fianna Fáil members have called for unity and calm in the wake of the weekend's presidential election results, following discussions among some TDs over the weekend around the future of leader Micheál Martin.
A group of TDs said to have been ready to sign a motion triggering a leadership race have stepped back to allow a review into the disastrous candidacy of Jim Gavin to be published.
The former Dublin GAA manager pulled out of the race three weeks before the election following confirmation that he failed to repay a tenant rent overpayments worth €3,300 in 2008. He finished Friday's election in third place with 103,000 votes.
The party at the time stated that the information that Mr Gavin gave it when a media query was received, and subsequent documentation received from the tenant, were contradictory. Following a fiery parliamentary party meeting over five hours in the days after, Fianna Fáil agreed the terms of reference of a review, which will revert with specific proposals by November 12.
It includes three members of the parliamentary party, Tom Brabazon, Eamon Scanlon, and Margaret Murphy O’Connor, and will be chaired by barrister Ciaran O’Loughlin.
Speaking on RTÉ's on Monday, transport minister Darragh O'Brien said that Mr Martin is backed by the "vast majority" of TDs and senators:
“The last few weeks have certainly been difficult. Our parliamentary party met just over two weeks ago, and we had a full discussion with the party leader and colleagues about what happened, and there was a lot of disappointment,” he said.
“The presidential election did not work out for us. Learnings need to be made and will be made from that”.
Mr O'Brien said that Mr Martin had been "an exceptional leader".
“If you look at the 14 years that Micheál Martin has led Fianna Fáil, he’s brought the party back, literally, from the brink, back to being the largest party in Government,” he said.
“He has shown great leadership over the course of that, in relation to referenda that we’ve had in relation to same-sex marriage, in relation to women’s reproductive rights, and Repeal the 8th.”
Mr O'Brien's colleague, junior minister Thomas Byrne, said that Fianna Fáil could not afford to be divided.
“The one thing I would say is, not only do the public not care for internal division, but I think it actually turns them off the party as well. So I think we really need to come together as a party,” Mr Byrne said.
“What the public wants is to make sure is that we’re not focused on ourselves, but that we’re focused on what our job is,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Fine Gael, Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly said that he had been "shafted" by the party's selection process, which had seen former social protection minister Heather Humphreys picked to replace Mairead McGuinness without a contest.
"I don’t go into contests just to make up the numbers. I think I’d have had a great chance of winning," he said.
"I know from the councillors’ response, I got a great response from them and the national executive, and from the membership... you’d have to ask yourself, why was there such a determined effort to stop me from getting a nomination?
"But it didn’t happen, so I’m going to get on with my life, I’m not going to let it upset me too much.
"It’s an honour to be considered as one of, as they all said, two great candidates, but one was anointed and the other was shafted, essentially."
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