Irish Examiner view: ‘Jurassic’ Fianna Fáil risking its own extinction

Party needs to realise that Sinn Féin, not Micheál Martin, is the greatest threat

Micheál Martin is under pressure to step down but his party need to look at the bigger picture: Picture: PA/Brian Lawless

We may have thought, in an era of supposed pragmatic, nationally focused politics, rather than the hysteric parish-pump variety, those Fianna Fáil TDs who thought the party ruled the world and that elections were largely won as a matter of right, would be a dying breed.

But two instances in recent days have highlighted that the ‘Jurassic’ version of the Fianna Fáil TD is alive and well. One came amid murmurings of yet another potential putsch against their own party leaderand current Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Several have voiced the opinion that Mr Martin should make way as party leader when he hands back the keys to the Taoiseach’s office to coalition partner and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar.

With the idea of hurrying him along, some have suggested they will not vote for Mr Varadkar as Taoiseach when the time comes if Mr Martin does not step down. The real subtext here is not that Mr Martin has been an ineffective party leader or Taoiseach, but that their own chances of re-election might be boosted by his departure.

The crowd of backbenchers clamouring for Mr Martin’s head are not born of the cogent politics of the modern era, but of a time when their party clucked to the tune of de Valera, Lemass, Lynch, and Haughey, and strutted around Leinster House like a bunch of cockfighters.

The Taoiseach’s refusal to bend the knee appears to be one of their most notable gripes, not his policies in the fight against climate collapse, or attempts to lead improvements in our country’s healthcare and housing, areas in which all TDs regardless of stripes are justified in putting pressure on, or when the occasion requires, the boot in.

Fianna Fáil’s second ‘Jurassic’ moment is seen in the debate about Ireland’s climate targets and the increasingly inevitable prospect of a cull to the national cattle herd if they are to be met. 

Again, instead of focusing on the issue at hand and trying to find a workable solution to Environment Minister Eamon Ryan’s proposals, for many Fianna Fáil backbenchers it has been back to the bullhorn tactics of old — shout the plans down and keep the locals happy.

Unfortunately for them, the former forelock tuggers themselves know radical change is needed and, indeed, many are prepared to act appropriately once their bottom line is not
unduly affected. Mr Ryan’s threat that other sectors will have to suffer if agriculture doesn’t is met with disdainful silence and a nod to the farming lobby that everything will be OK.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and the probability is that a herd cut might be a deciding factor in our race to meet climate targets. Unless the Fianna Fáil backbenches get wise to climate change and the fact the real threat to their future is not Micheál Martin but rather Sinn Féin, they themselves will be history.