Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s leadership of Fianna Fáil continues to face questions over his role in selecting Jim Gavin as the party’s candidate for the Presidential Election.
Some backbench TDs have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the party leadership following the recent election and say they are “fed up” with not being listened to by senior party leaders.
However, Government Chief Whip Mary Butler has said she believes “there are too many” in the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party who will not stand by and allow Mr Martin to be “undermined”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, Ms Butler said “a significant amount” of her colleagues in the parliamentary party support Mr Martin.
“As a party whip, I deal in numbers the whole time, but what I would say to you is that I would believe that a significant amount of my parliamentary colleagues support the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin,” she said.
Ms Butler added: “One decision should not and will not undo all the excellent work that preceded it.
“And I believe there are too many in the parliamentary party who will not stand by and watch the Taoiseach be undermined in this way, like what we have seen over the last 72 hours.”
The Waterford TD said that the majority of Fianna Fáil TDs want to “get on with their jobs”.
“They want to represent their constituents at a national level and a local level, and they want to continue our work in Government with our coalition parties,” she said.
“Yes, we are hurting as a party. Yes, our grassroots, our members, our supporters were so disappointed that they hadn’t a candidate to vote for last Friday.”
“Many stayed at home, people spoiled their votes but the Taoiseach has said to the parliamentary party that there is no one more devastated than him,” Ms Butler added.
“He also understands the enormity of what has happened.”
Mary Butler said: ‘One decision should not and will not undo all the excellent work that preceded it’ (file pic)
Ms Butler said that the party will not “throw the baby out with the bathwater” as it conducts a review into its presidential campaign.
She added that everyone involved in the process will be invited to contribute to the review, including Jim Gavin, who withdrew from the campaign and was the party’s candidate.
Ms Butler said the review will be completed on 12 November.
“It is considering the steps taken during the identification and selection process, the campaign up to and including Sunday the 5th of October.
“It’s really important that we get this review done,” Ms Butler said.
She added: “I presented the terms of reference to the parliamentary party, agreed by all, I might add.
“It’s now an internal matter for Fianna Fáil, and I won’t be commenting on it further as a request until the report is concluded.”
Backbench TDs ‘fed up’ with not being listened to – Byrne
Earlier, Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne said the party’s backbench TDs are “fed up” with not being listened to by senior party leaders and “need to take control back”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News At One, the Wicklow-Wexford deputy said he has “enormous respect” for party leader Micheál Martin, but Fianna Fáil’s issues run deeper than “the disaster that was the Presidential Election”.
“We’re not seeing delivery quickly enough on some of those key issues and part of it is, I think, that frankly, we as elected representatives are fed up and part of it is our own responsibility.
“But that you have a situation whereby you have State agencies that have taken on so much power who are not delivering.
“We’ve been trying to communicate this, but we feel that we’re not being listened to at senior levels within the party,” Mr Byrne said.
Anne Rabbitte said the issue is ‘far deeper’ than the ongoing party review into the presidential campaign (File pic: RollingNews.ie)
Fianna Fáil Senator Anne Rabbitte said there is “huge annoyance” within Fianna Fáil regarding the party’s handling of the Presidential Election.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Rabbitte said the issue is “far deeper” than the ongoing party review into the presidential campaign.
“I think it’s far deeper than that now, that’s the feedback I’m getting from the grassroots, that’s the feedback I’m getting from the councillors. There’s huge annoyance about the last 24 hours.”
Yesterday, a decision was made by those unhappy with Micheál Martin to allow the review of the party’s presidential campaign to be completed within the next fortnight before any action is taken.
Sources close to the party leader said a party review of the presidential campaign is well under way and will be completed within weeks.
Cork East TD James O’Connor said the internal review of the presidential campaign must ensure that such mistakes are never repeated.
Mr O’Connor said he has not been told how he can contribute to this review.
A former TD for Galway East, Ms Rabbitte said that there is “a huge amount of annoyance and upset” among Fianna Fáil members in Galway.
“There is a conversation that needs to be had to move it forward, in relation to how we got it so wrong,” she said.
Ms Rabbitte said that the question of Micheál Martin’s leadership will be up to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party members.
She said she agreed with Fianna Fáil TDs John Lahart and John McGuinness, who spoke yesterday regarding Mr Martin’s leadership.
Mr McGuinness said that the party needs a new leader in the not too distant future.