Barry Cowen attack ‘an immediate and grievous threat to Micheál’s authority’
Party meeting descends into chaos as sacked minister rages over treatment
AN TAOISEACH Micheál Martin raised his arms above his head in exasperation or helplessness, indicating an apparent desire to leave this week’s Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, such was the onslaught of criticism from his TDs, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Mr Martin was shouted at and abused, told his ‘credibilty is in tatters’ and accused of making the party look like ‘gob******’ due to his support for Coalition partner Leo Varadkar over his leaking of a confidential document, according to those present at the online meeting.
Those present also confirmed that at no point did any member of the parliamentary party step in to defend Mr Martin from the sustained attacks.
It all began when desposed agriculture minister Barry Cowen told the meeting he believed he could have continued in his ministerial job while an investigation into his drink driving leak continued but the ‘Taoiseach thought otherwise’, the MoS can reveal.
‘No party members came to Taoiseach’s defence’
During the meeting Mr Cowen, for the first time, gave a detailed analysis of his sacking from Cabinet, saying he was denied ‘due process’ and that this was the ‘Fianna Fáil leader’s decision’.
The meeting then witnessed an increasingly isolated Taoiseach come under fire from several TDs and Senators, who one witness said were ‘emboldened’ by the critique given by such a respected member of the group as Mr Cowen.
As he came under sustained attacks, including from a shouting Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry, no party members came to the Taoiseach’s defence.
In his speech, Mr Cowen said his treatment was in stark contrast to the backing Leo Varadkar received from the Taoiseach this week and the way he ‘was sacked by the Fianna Fáil leader’.
In a scripted speech, Mr Cowen began to explain why he had publicly supported Fine Gael leader Mr Varadkar during the leak controversy but quickly swerved into a critique of how Mr Martin ruthlessly sacked him from Cabinet.
‘As far as I’m concerned Leo Varadkar deserved and got due process,’ said Mr Cowen, continuing in the third person he said, ‘Barry
Cowen deserved it but didn’t
get it. That was the Fianna Fáil leader’s decision.’
He reminded the meeting that Mr Varadkar told the Dáil on
Tuesday night that he had ‘no hand, act or part in my [Mr Cowen’s] sacking’. This made it clear to members that the decision to sack Mr Cowen had been Mr Martin’s alone. Mr Cowen said that he was aware of this but that he believed ‘many members of Fianna Fáil’ were not . In t he words of
one Fianna Fáil Minister, Mr Cowen’s intervention represents ‘an immediate and grievous threat to Micheál’s authority’.
After detailed briefing from TDs and Senators about the events at the meeting, the MoS is able to reveal the content of Mr Cowen’s challenge to Mr Martin’s leadership. Offaly TD Mr Cowen said he believed it was correct that Mr Varadkar go into the Dáil to answer questions about his behaviour, which was not ‘appropriate’, but
carried out while he was Taoiseach. Mr Cowen said it had not been possible for him to go into the Dáil to answer questions about information about his drink-driving conviction in 2016, adding that the ‘forum for such investigation, analysis and conclusion was and is GSOC [Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission].’
‘I was sacked by the Fianna Fáil leader because I didn’t go into the Dáil to respond to questions from Opposition members,’ said Mr Cowen. He felt GSOC should have been allowed to investigate him in a ‘non-partisan manner’.
A member who was at the meeting said of Mr Cowen’s criticism: ‘This displayed how weak Micheál is right now. There wasn’t a single person – no Ministers, no TDs – who
‘Barry Cowen deserved due process’
defended him, even while Marc was abusing him.’
Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry said the Taoiseach’s ‘credibility was in tatters’ and his decision to stand by Mr Varadkar had made Fianna Fáil look like ‘gobs*****’.
He said the Taoiseach had been wrong to back Mr Varadkar’s ‘fairytale’ explanation of his ‘sneaky’ leak to a friend. Mr MacSharry eventually shouted down Mr Martin, accusing him of acting like a ‘schoolteacher’ towards the party.
Mr Martin responded that he ‘always reflected on how he behaved’ and that he ‘hoped you do, too’. He said that he found it ‘frustrating’ that Mr MacSharry’s outburst would turn Mr Varadkar’s difficulties into a ‘Fianna Fáil story’. He said parliamentary party members should reflect on this.
There were a number of criticisms from other TDs. Some contrasted the defence of Mr Varadkar with Mr Martin’s decision to sack Mr Cowen and Dara Calleary’s prompt resignation over the Clifden golf event.
Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness was vocal on the party’s stewardship of Covid-19 lockdown measures, as was Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill, who said the membership was ‘disillusioned’ and morale was as low as it was 10 years ago, when the troika came. He said he ‘didn’t trust the Blueshirts’ not to cause a general election after restrictions are lifted next year.
The Taoiseach offered a robust response to the criticisms. He said he ‘had appointed Barry Cowen’ to Cabinet and said of his losing his ministerial role, ‘I did not want it at all. It’s not what I envisaged.’ He said he wanted Mr Cowen to go into the Dáil to explain his actions and he did not want to. They had disagreed on this matter. He said he regretted that Mr Calleary was forced to resign as a minister.
He pointed out that 74% of the Fianna Fáil membership had backed the coalition, which prompted Mr MacSharry to start shouting over the Zoom meeting.
At one point as Mr MacSharry shouted over him Mr Martin raised his arms while he sat in the Taoiseach’s office in apparent exasperation as it appeared he wanted to leave.