Martin ‘confident’ in his leadership as Fianna Fail TDs to get election report

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said his leadership of Fianna Fail is not in trouble as his parliamentary party is set to review a long-awaited report into its selection process for a presidential candidate.

Mr Martin said some people had been engaged in an “agenda” of “attack lines” against him for several weeks in the run-up to the publication of the report.

The review was initiated to examine how the party’s selection process saw ex-Dublin football manager Jim Gavin emerge as the Fianna Fail candidate for the presidency.

Mr Gavin was championed by Mr Martin and deputy leader Jack Chambers but withdrew from the contest three weeks before polling day after it emerged he owed thousands of euro to a former tenant in overpaid rent.

Questions have been raised about Fianna Fail leadership’s level of knowledge of the tenant dispute prior to the vote to choose a candidate.

The parliamentary party will hold a meeting about the report on Tuesday evening.

Speaking to reporters on his way into Cabinet, Mr Martin said he would be sharing the report with the parliamentary party “promptly”, having received it on Monday evening.

Asked if his leadership was in trouble, he said: “No, not at all.”

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Billy Kelleher, an MEP for the party who also sought the nomination, refused to express confidence in Mr Martin.

He told RTE radio: “I will wait for the report to be published and then, whatever is contained in the report, I will act in the best interest of the party and the best interest of the integrity of the membership right across the country who are deeply upset and hurt over what happened.”

He said it would be “wrong” to comment on confidence before the publication of the report.

Mr Martin told reporters: “I will deal with the entirety of the report this evening because it’s a report in the first instance for the Fianna Fail party – because the Fianna Fail party asked for that.

“And the terms of reference were very clear that it would be completed, it would be handed to me, and then I would share with the parliamentary party, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Mr Martin reiterated criticism of some of the media coverage of the report, adding that “false” assertions about individuals had been made.

Asked if he was relieved he had the report, he said: “I’m much happier that I have it. I didn’t have it all along and I was taken back to some of the commentary last week, where it seemed to people to be acting on reported leaks or whatever, and the assertions contained in some of the commentary last week were simply false – and I had to put that on the record.”

Pressed on what was incorrect about the coverage, Mr Martin refused to “contextualise assertions that were made”.

He told reporters he was “not going to get into an argy-bargy with anybody”.

“The report will be published. The report will go to the parliamentary party. The full entirety of the context will be there,” he said.

Mr Martin said that he was “absolutely” confident he could remain as leader, adding that he had received a mandate when Fianna Fail was returned as the largest party in the Dail in last year’s general election.

“I’ve been focused all along – I know others have been focused on the ‘gotcha moments’ and attempting to create ‘gotcha moments’ and attempting to create attack lines against me,” he said.

“I mean, that’s been the agenda for the last number of weeks, but I haven’t been focused on that. I’ve been focused on the work as Taoiseach, the housing issue, disability, child poverty, the infrastructure challenge.

“And if you look at the last number of months, it’s been about policy from my perspective and doing my work as Taoiseach.

“I’ve studiously avoided being deflected by any other issues.”

Labour TD Alan Kelly said the “final curtain needs to fall” on the “pantomime” of the Fianna Fail dispute.

He said: “Government decisions are not being taken. If Government is not functioning to a level that is required because of an internal issue in a party, you have to call that out. This can’t go on.”

Mr Kelly said those within Fianna Fail who want to take action on leadership “need to do so today”.

Asked if he was encouraging a heave, he said that was a matter for Fianna Fail rather than Labour.