HEAVE AGAINST MARTIN HALTED

Support for Taoiseach deters FF plotters

PLANS for a leadership coup in Fianna Fáil have halted after the Taoiseach’s would-be challenger Jim O’Callaghan beat a retreat.

Senior ministers also issued statements of support for Micheál Martin despite their disastrous result in the by-election.

Earlier, Mr O’Callaghan cast doubt on the quality of the Taoiseach’s leadership while former agriculture minister Barry Cowen requested a special meeting of the parliamentary party to discuss the fallout from the Dublin Bay South byelection and election 2020.

Amidst speculation that dissidents were circulating a document seeking the necessary ten signatures for a motion of no confidence, Marc McSharry said of a result

that he characterised as being ‘shockingly below party standards’ that ‘after just a few moments of reflection, anyone who understands national politics knows what needs to happen’.

However, senior party figures have now circled the wagons around their Taoiseach with Education Minister Norma Foley telling RTÉ’s The Week in Politics that Mr Martin should lead Fianna Fáil into the next general election despite the party’s disastrous result in the Dublin Bay South by-election.

Significantly, one of the most likely beneficiaries of any leadership heave, the politically astute Michael McGrath, tweeted that now was the time for people in Fianna Fáil to support the Taoiseach and show ‘unity of purpose’.

One senior source asked: ‘Are we seriously going to engage in a soap opera in a week where we are also trying to re-open the Irish hospitality industry?

‘Big Jim and Marc would turn us into a laughing stock.’

Separately, Ms Foley, a long-term political associate of Mr Martin who was appointed Minister for Education on her first day as a TD, conceded: ‘After any election there is going to be a post-mortem and it was not a good day for Fianna Fáil. There is a job of work to be done.’

She rejected the possibility that there would be ten TDs who would sign a motion against Mr Martin.

‘They want FF to put the country first’

Ms Foley added, in response to queries as to whether Mr Martin would lead Fianna Fáil into the next election: ‘Absolutely. Micheál is a very experienced, solutionfocused leader.

‘We see the benefit of that in Government, we also see the benefit of that in Fianna Fáil.’

In what will be seen in the party as a more significant intervention, the Minister of State in Higher Education Niall Collins also moved to stabilise the uncertain political situation.

He said: ‘As a party, we will of course assess the lessons learnt from the very disappointing result. This will be done as it is after all elections.

‘However, we all have to remember that we are in the middle of a global pandemic and the Taoiseach and Government are making decisions to put the country first.’

Mr Collins also warned any rebels that the much-feared party grassroots was not supportive of their ambitions.

He warned: ‘They are very unhappy with the comments from some of the Parliamentary Party.

‘They want Fianna Fáil to put the country first like it always does.’

In a sharp criticism of the rebels, Mr Collins added: ‘We are implementing the national recovery plan.

‘We are now getting 180,000 people back to work in the hospitality sector in the next few days.

‘It is time to concentrate on improving people’s lives rather than rattling party-political cages.

We need to get on with the job that people elected us to do.’ Mr Collins is believed to represent the critical centre ground of the party.

One source noted: ‘Collins is not in Micheál’s court or any other court. He is a bellwether figure in the party though. If someone like Collins were to say it is time to go, the clock would definitively be ticking on Micheál.’

Another TD warned: ‘We would look like worse clowns than the Greens if we tried to butcher the

leader in the middle of a pandemic.’ Mr O’Callaghan also appeared to back away from his initially sharp criticism of the party leader, noting that he ‘would not sign a motion of no confidence in the party leader’.

He said: ‘The question we need to ask is “why are we not connecting with the electorate?”.’

Asked if he had been approached by anyone to sign a motion of noconfidence, he said: ‘That hasn’t happened, and I wouldn’t.’

Mr O’Callaghan said he was interested in leading the party but would not do anything to undermine Mr Martin.

‘I believe it’s an honour and a privilege [to lead the party], but I’m not going to do anything just to undermine the leader or give the media an impression that there’s something going on when I don’t think there is,’ he said.

One top level Fianna Fáil figure noted: ‘Big Jim marched his troops down the hill into quicksand and now cannot get away fast enough.’

Another TD warned: ‘As of now,

Micheál has a slim majority, but his best card is the absence of contenders.

‘That is not a secure place, to put it mildly.’

Mr Martin has defended his position, noting that ‘Governments rarely win in by-elections.

‘They are not markers in terms of what happens at the next general election.

‘This constituency is not our strongest constituency; it never has been.

‘The Government is now going to focus on the issues at hand, dealing with Covid and making sure we can facilitate the recovery of our economy and jobs and prioritising housing and healthcare.

‘We are busy getting substantial work through the Dáil.’