Fianna Fáil members in Mayo were meeting in Castlebar last night to discuss the re-admission of Independent TD Beverley Flynn to the party.
Members of three party cumainn in Castlebar were expected to make a recommendation to party headquarters on the issue of Ms Flynn's future in Fianna Fáil, pending resolution of all her legal issues.
This follows the Taoiseach's comments in June to the effect that Ms Flynn's return to Fianna Fáil was a "process that has to be resolved with her local organisation" once her legal issues had been sorted out.
Ms Flynn recently paid €1.225 million to RTÉ in settlement of her failed libel case, but it is understood that she will not apply to rejoin her party until all legal proceedings are signed off formally early next month.
Last June, Mr Ahern described Ms Flynn as a person of "enormous ability" and said if she didn't have all the difficulties of the past she would have been a "very strong contender" for a promotion.
Senior Fianna Fáil figures in Mayo expressed surprise at the Taoiseach's comments before conclusion of her bankruptcy court proceedings. Newly-elected Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary, former senator and councillor Frank Chambers, and secretary of the Mayo Comhairle Dáil Ceantair Éamon Joyce, were critical of the timing of the comments, with Mr Calleary making it clear that he was available for a junior ministry.
However, Mr Calleary, who has been a member of Fianna Fáil's national executive, said last night that this was not an issue now, and it was clear that Mr Ahern's comments had been "misinterpreted". The new TD said that he would have "no major difficulty" with Ms Flynn returning to the party fold.
"Both of us agree on most things, and it would be in the best interests of Mayo to have two strong Fianna Fáil TDs," Mr Calleary said. "At the same time, we all fought a tough campaign, and people's views have to be considered, which was why this meeting has been convened." The three cumainn represented at the coiste aitiul were the John Jordan, Paddy Quinn and Castlebar Rural branches, while Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology's Castlebar campus cumann was also invited. The main item on the agenda was the Taoiseach's statement in relation to Ms Flynn in June, while party sources said Fianna Fáil's poor performance in Mayo and the collapse of its vote in Castlebar town would also be debated.
The discussions were preceded by a meeting of the officer board of the comhairle Dáil ceantair, which was due to be chaired by Fianna Fáil's Mayo party organiser, Denis Gallagher.
It is understood Ms Flynn can apply to a party cumann or to the national executive to be re-admitted to Fianna Fáil, but any application will have to be approved by the national executive.
