Fianna Fail senator disciplined by party over candidate row
FIANNA Fail senator Mark Daly has been stripped of his role as deputy leader of the Irish Seanad over his involvement in an announcement of the party’s first candidate in Northern Ireland.
In October, flanked by frontbench Fianna Fail TD Eamon O’Cuiv and party senator Mr Daly, former Sinn Fein councillor Sorcha McAnespy was unveiled as a “candidate” for next year’s council poll at a meeting in Omagh.
Mr O’Cuiv was due before party leader Micheal Martin last night.
Photos were issued of the trio posing with Fianna Fail-branded election posters carrying Ms McAnespy’s image, urging people to vote for her.
Confusion abounded an hour later when Fianna Fail’s official Twitter account said no decision had been made on contesting the 2019 election here.
The party’s education spokesman Thomas Byrne accused Mr Daly and Mr O’Cuiv of embarking on a “solo run”. The episode
came amid ongoing speculation that Fianna Fail might ultimately merge with the SDLP to run in future Northern Ireland elections.
Mr Daly spoke to BBC Radio Ulster on Wednesday and did not express any regrets in the interview, and insisted Ms McAnespy had to be a candidate because, due to party rules, if you are a member of the party and are running in an election then you must run as a Fianna Fail candidate.
“There’s great impatience in the party in relation to this because for the last five years we have said that we will contest the elections in the north and that was long before any discussions with the SDLP,” he said.
Mr Daly says he has been asked to do other launches in Northern Ireland, adding they would be in the new year.
“I assume the other discussions (with the SDLP) will be concluded by then,” he said.