Darragh O’Brien insists he has given Fianna Fáil leadership no thought

Monday's 'Irish Examiner' revealed that a majority of the parliamentary party believe Micheál Martin should step down at the end of this year

Darragh O'Brien at the official opening of HSE Dublin and North East surgical hub this morning. Named by colleagues as a contender to be the next FF leader, Mr O’Brien told the 'Irish Examiner' he was focused on his roles as a minister and TD. Picture: Stephen Collins

One of the men named as a potential successor to Micheál Martin as Fianna Fáil leader has insisted he has given the role no thought.

The Irish Examiner reported today, Monday, that a solid majority of Fianna Fáil’s TDs, MEPs, and senators believe that Mr Martin should step down as party leader, with many pinpointing the end of this year as the time for Mr Martin to end his tenure as leader of the party.

Among the 51 politicians surveyed by this paper, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan and social protection minister Dara Calleary have been touted as front-runners, but transport minister Darragh O’Brien was also mentioned.

Asked about the report today, Monday, Mr O’Brien told the Irish Examiner he was focused on his roles in the transport and energy departments. 

“I’d say my focus is the job I have to do across transport, the job I have to do across climate, energy, and environment, two very busy and important portfolios. And, obviously, as TD for Dublin Fingal East. 

"Our focus as a Government is getting on with the job we were elected to do. We’re less than two years from the last general election, so I think speculation about the next is premature.”

Pressed on whether he had ever given the job any thought, Mr O’Brien declined to say one way or the other. “I’m focused on the job I have to do at the moment, and that’s what people expect me to do,” he said.

The Irish Examiner’s sample of the party over the past week asked questions of 51 of the 70 members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, excluding Mr Martin, himself, which revealed that 59% (30 respondents) want to see a change of leadership immediately after the EU presidency at the end of this year.

Mr O’Callaghan is currently the most favoured member of the party, with 14 saying they would back him in a leadership contest, followed by Mr Calleary, who has seven politicians happy to state they would support him. Mr O’Brien’s was among several names — including Jack Chambers and Mary Butler — put forward by members of the party who were not specific in their preferred successor.

Fallout from presidential campaign

Mr Martin’s leadership of Fianna Fáil has been questioned several times in the last year following the fallout from the party’s disastrous presidential campaign, which saw former Dublin Gaelic football boss Jim Gavin nominated as a candidate, only for him to sensationally withdraw from the race following questions around money owed to a former tenant. 

However, following that departure in early October, there was no move against Mr Martin, though he was criticised at an hours-long special parliamentary party meeting.

He has also faced pressure from within his party over his handling of April’s fuel protests, with TDs and senators saying that there was “more appetite than ever” for a change of leadership, and three of the party’s youngest TDs issued a warning shot about the direction of the party, co-signing a letter on the issue. However, no concrete moves followed.

In May, the Taoiseach saw further backlash from Fianna Fáil TDs who branded him “selfish” and accused him of damaging the party as part of his “victory lap” in the wake of dismal by-election performances.

• Paul Hosford, Deputy Political Editor