Time to reflect is just what the doctor ordered for Leo

Varadkar is under fire from his Fine Gael colleagues as a summer of blunders leads to the party's popularity plummeting

At Fine Gael's two-day think-in, Leo Varadkar is hearing criticism from colleagues for a series of errors, two of which involve Katherine Zappone, amid worrying opinion polls for FG. File picture: Gareth Chaney

Fine Gael and Leo Varadkar are set for two days of soul-searching as their think-in, which began yesterday, coincides with two disappointing polls for the party.

TDs and senators yesterday gathered in Trim, Co Meath, after months of strife and controversy surrounding their leader and his deputy, Simon Coveney. The meetings are unlikely to have been comfortable or pleasant affairs.

Critics have been quick to point out in recent weeks that the party, 10 years in power, is simply too cocky, too sloppy, and too comfortable with their feet under the desks in Merrion Street to govern professionally any more. 

The party faces further headaches this week as Simon Coveney faces a vote of no confidence over the appointment of Katherine Zappone to the UN special envoy role. File picture: Damien Storan

The party, which had been attempting to shed the image of being "detached, remote, and not on people’s side," according to its party chairman, now looks like it's very much on your side, as long as you're a former colleague, and are paying for it with the public.

Fine Gael's popularity plummets

Fine Gael saw a significant decrease in popularity in two opinion polls over the weekend.

Weeks after a controversial appointment which saw Katherine Zappone parachuted into a plum UN role without informing the Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Fine Gael were down two points in the Business Post Red C poll on 28%, while The Sunday Times' Behaviour and Attitudes (B&A) poll saw Leo Varadkar's popularity plummet to 39%, down nine points.

Fine Gael are now ten points behind Sinn Féin on just 23% in the same B&A poll.

According to Red C, Fine Gael has the support of just 17% of 18-34-year-olds, rising to 24% among the 35-54 age group. Fine Gael leads in the over 55s on 41%.

Members want to 'press reset' after this summer   

Some members have cited a "lack of cohesion" within the party as an issue bubbling under the surface and see the think-in as an opportunity to "press reset" on what has been a summer of turmoil for Fine Gael. The mounting issues will have to be dealt with at the think-in and many will be demanding explanations and reassurance from Leo Varadkar. "He has undermined his own authority a number of times," said one senior party source said of the Tánaiste.

One source said the events leading up to the Dáil recess and throughout the summer have really put a dent in morale. 

"A junior minister leaking that he exposed a senior minister for leaking was really a low point," said one backbencher:  

There are some really nasty people in there. There are a few of them in there and they are so ambitious, they don't care who they have to screw over to get ahead.

Zappone, festival furore, then Zappone again

Mr Varadkar has been under sustained criticism for months after he attended a private party held by former minister Katherine Zappone in Dublin's Merrion Hotel. The event appeared to break Fáilte Ireland regulations, and Mr Varadakar was forced to apologise for his attendance while insisting that it "probably" wasn't against Covid-19 restrictions.

The Tánaiste, who also holds the Enterprise portfolio, was then photographed at a music festival in London, days after saying that Ireland should not follow England's example when it came to outdoor music events amid an ongoing row on whether the Electric Picnic music festival could go ahead. Fine Gael ministers have publicly defended their leader in the media, but one TD, speaking to the Irish Examiner, called the move "tone deaf".

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Fine Gael face a further headache this week as Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney will face a vote of no confidence on Wednesday over the appointment of Ms Zappone to the UN special envoy role and admitting deleting text messages from his phone, in direct contravention of the FOI Act. Although Mr Coveney looks set to survive, it has caused considerable consternation on the backbenches of Fine Gael and is likely to feature heavily in talks over the next two days.

Another senior TD said that the polls are reflective of a campaign against Fine Gael: 

"We have obviously been under the microscope, unfairly so. There has been a run on us. Think back to Alan Shatter and Frances Fitzgerald who were found guilty by the man in the street — both were cleared ultimately. I think there's a lot of that for Coveney. 

"The phrase that 'Fine Gael are too long in government', betrays what people think, it's 'anyone but Fine Gael'. If people are tired of a government, then let there be an election," the source said. 

One TD added: "The issue is, there's a plethora of people who feel free to condemn but don't feel in any way bound to abide by same criteria."

Backbenchers level criticism at Varadkar 

Leo Varadkar in particular is set to come under criticism after a series of blunders annoyed some in the party's backbenches, with one TD telling the Irish Examiner: "Rules apply to everyone, and everyone should set an example."

It hasn't been a great few years for Leo Varadkar, given he led his party into an election which saw them come third after years in government, is currently under investigation by Gardai for allegedly leaking a document to his friend, lost any party representation in the once true-blue heartland of Dublin Bay South, went to a party which most of the people viewed as breaking the rules, then fled to a music festival when Ireland was cancelling theirs.  Some time to reflect might be just what the doctor ordered.