Micheál Martin plays down Fianna Fáil unrest after Jim Gavin presidential campaign fallout

Taoiseach says internal tensions have eased following the Jim Gavin review and insists his focus remains firmly on policy

Taoiseach Micheál Martin meeting the mayor of Shanghai Gong Zheng on Thursday. Speaking in Shanghai, Mr Martin said he is 'focusing on the issues' and 'I am (confident in the security of his leadership)'.

Micheál Martin says he is confident in the security of his leadership of Fianna Fáil.

Mr Martin came under pressure from within his party after the disastrous Jim Gavin presidential campaign, but a pre-Christmas report on the issue largely diffused the party tensions and the Taoiseach now says he believes his position is safe.

Mr Gavin withdrew from the election in October after failing to inform the party about a previous dispute with a tenant to whom he failed to return rent overpayments worth €3,300 in 2008. 

The disaster caused controversy within Fianna Fáil and led to a 10-week process of an internal review. The review says that Mr Gavin was asked on five occasions about the issue, but never gave full accounts.

Speaking in Shanghai, Mr Martin said he is "focusing on the issues" and "I am (confident in the security of his leadership)".

"Look, I'm focusing on the issues. The New Year has hardly started, and I'm out here working and representing the people of Ireland," he said.

"That's my focus, on advancing issues that can be a benefit to the people of Ireland. 

"And we agreed prior to Christmas that we would all move on from all of that and focus on the needs of the people, issues that affect the people every day. That will be my agenda."

He said his "relentless focus" will be on the issues of the day, improving and enhancing housing and public infrastructure "and a whole range of issues like disability".

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However, Mr Martin said he would not attempt to head off any remaining rebels in his party by tabling a motion of confidence in himself. "We have clear rules around that," the Taoiseach said.

"We have clear rules that govern all of that. And the rules are put there for good reason so that we, as we said before the election, would create stability, solid focus on policy, because the public would have little toleration for anything else.

"In my opinion, having spoken to a lot of people over Christmas, that's a strong sense from the public."

Review findings

The report states that as part of ongoing due diligence, Mr Gavin was asked on September 5 and September 8 about a reference to a dispute with a tenant. 

The reference was in a telephone call from a journalist to Micheál Martin’s top adviser, Deirdre Gillane, on September 5, and an email on September 8 received by Fianna Fáil’s press office.

However, the report does not say that Mr Martin knew about the issues before they became public knowledge. 

Mr Martin met with the former Dublin football manager and told him he could not recommend Fianna Fáil continue to back him due to the revelations over €3,300 owed to a former tenant.