Enda personally invited rebel TD back to the fold
Coalition tensions led party to welcome him
A PERSONAL phone call from Taoiseach Enda Kenny to former rebel Brian Walsh signalled an end to the TD’s exile from the Fine Gael parliamentary party.
Mr Walsh was readmitted to the party ahead of schedule last Wednesday night after a recommendation from the Taoiseach.
It is understood that Mr Walsh wrote to Fine Gael’s parliamentary party chairman Charlie Flanagan last Thursday week requesting that his application for readmittance be considered.
Mr Kenny then rang Mr Walsh ‘out of the blue’ last Monday night after the Galway West TD had finished canvassing with his brother John, a Fine Gael candidate for the local council.
It is thought political instability in the Coalition, with tensions between Fine Gael and Labour increasing in recent months, may have encouraged party bosses to welcome back their prodigal son.
Mr Walsh was expelled from Fine Gael last summer after voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.
Former minister Lucinda Creighton, and TDs Peter Matthews, Terence Flanagan and Billy Timmins were also expelled. Senators Paul Bradford and Fidelma Healy Eames also lost the whip.
Ms Creighton, Mr Bradford, Ms Healy Eames and Mr Matthews decided not to renew their membership of the party proper. This marked a final obstacle to their attempts to return to the parliamentary party.
Mr Timmins and Mr Flanagan renewed their membership of the party, leaving the way open to their return to the parliamentary party.
‘When Brian saw the annual renewal coming up he saw an opportunity,’ said a Fine Gael source. ‘He wrote to Charlie Flanagan asking for readmittance to the parliamentary party. The Taoiseach became aware of it and phoned him. Mr Kenny said to him, “I’m aware of your application and I think the time is right.”’
Mr Walsh had expected his readmittance to come much later this year.
A Government source said: ‘We had felt it would come after the summer recess, but it came quicker than everybody thought.
‘There is a fear about numbers in Fine Gael and if anything happens to the Government, we need as
many as we can get.’