Ahern acts to kick Flynn out after appeal fails
Within hours of the five Supreme Court judges dismissing her appeal against RTÉ, Mr Ahern decided on a course of action that will seal Ms Flynn’s fate within the party. His surprisingly robust response followed a short meeting of Fianna Fáil’s party officers.
Mr Ahern, who chaired the emergency meeting of senior figures within his party, will bring a motion to the parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday proposing that the whip be removed from Ms Flynn.
A special meeting of the party’s national executive will be convened three days later to vote on a motion to expel her from Fianna Fáil.
The short statement issued by the party after the meeting indicated Mr Ahern’s clear intent to sever all links with Ms Flynn.
During a turbulent career since her election to the house in 1997, she had already lost the party whip on two occasions. She was re-admitted to the party in the 2002 General Election on the basis that she had appealed to the Supreme Court against her failed libel action.
But having exhausted legal proceedings, Ms Flynn’s political career and finances both lay in ruins last night. She faces certain expulsion from Fianna Fáil and possible bankruptcy arising from being exposed to legal bills estimated at €2.5 million.
RTÉ confirmed yesterday that it will pursue its costs against Ms Flynn, a move which may leave the backbencher with nothing.
The surprisingly swift response by Fianna Fáil to the outcome of the appeal was been portrayed last night by senior FF sources as showing Mr Ahern’s determination to deal decisively with Ms Flynn.
The sources pointed to his comments pertaining to Ms Flynn in the Dáil in February, when he had stated that tax evasion was wrong and that encouraging others to engage in tax evasion was wrong.
“Bertie [Ahern] was willing to wait until the outcome of the appeal. But once it found against her, there was a need to show consistency. She had to go,” said one source.
Her difficulties will also be further compounded with the publication in June of the report by High Court Inspectors into her former employer, NIB Bank.
Ms Flynn will possibly be named by the inspectors in the report, which will also outline details of how her unit within the bank sold insurance policies that were designed to aid tax evasion.
In arriving at its decision yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld a 2001 jury verdict in the High Court that Ms Flynn had not been libelled by RTÉ in 1998, when it named her as one of a number of NIB executives who encouraged clients to evade paying their taxes in full.
Speaking outside the Four Courts, Ms Flynn said she was very disappointed but had to accept the decision.
After saying her future in Fianna Fáil was a matter for the parliamentary party and was out of her hands, she voted for the Government in the Dáil last night. While some of her party colleagues voiced sympathy for her personal plight, there was an overwhelming consensus among FF TDs that her career in the party was over.
RTÉ’s chief news correspondent Charlie Bird, who broke the story along with its economics editor George Lee, said that he was delighted with the outcome.
“It’s a difficult day for her. But it’s a great day for RTÉ, a great day for investigative journalism, and a great day for public service broadcasting,” he said.
Labour Party deputy leader Liz McManus last night welcomed the decision by FF to move to expel Ms Flynn from the party.
“I hope that these measures will be followed through and that there will be no backing off.
“It is essential that the ambivalent attitude that Fianna Fáil has long displayed to those engaged in tax evasion is ended for once and for all,” she said.
Fianna Fáil Senator Michael Brennan last night defected to the Progressive Democrats. The Limerick West-based politician ran as an independent FF candidate in the 1997 General Election and was one of the Taoiseach’s nominees to the Seanad in 2002.
Last night, PD sources confirmed that Mr Brennan’s membership of the party will be ratified at a meeting of the National Executive later today.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
