MORE RESIGNATIONS are expected from Fianna Fáil after the voluntary departure of former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and councillor John Hannon, who were facing expulsion following the publication of the planning tribunal’s final report.
The intentions of former European commissioner Pádraig Flynn of Fianna Fáil, who the tribunal found behaved corruptly, were unclear last night. A special meeting of the party’s national executive scheduled for Friday to expel Mr Flynn and three former councillors will proceed.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael’s disciplinary committee will meet this week to deal with findings in relation to party personnel. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, speaking in Shanghai, referred for the first time to the tribunal’s finding that it was “inappropriate” for Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell to have received £500 from lobbyist Frank Dunlop in 1992.
“Olivia Mitchell’s reference in the Mahon tribunal is of inappropriate behaviour. I understand that she was a councillor at the time. The report in its entirety has been referred to the internal disciplinary committee of Fine Gael. They will make their own findings. They are meeting this week,” Mr Kenny said.
Sitting Fine Gael councillor Anne Devitt’s actions over the “Cargobridge” lands were found “entirely inappropriate” by the tribunal.
Fianna Fáil party whip Seán Ó Fearghaíl confirmed the national executive meeting would go ahead regardless of whether or not further resignations were received. “It’s a matter of indifference to me whether he resigns voluntarily or whether we move to expel him on Friday. We are not going to have people within the Fianna Fáil party against whom these type of findings have been made.”
He said the same applied for former councillors GV Wright, Don Lydon and Finbar Hanrahan.
Writing in The Irish Times today, Mr Ahern describes his resignation as a “real emotional wrench” and reiterated his objections to Mahon’s findings, saying he was “deeply wounded”. Asked to comment on Mr Ahern’s move, Mr Kenny said: “When the leader of any party of such long experience as former taoiseach Ahern decides to walk away, it’s an indication of, I suppose, some of the Soldiers of Destiny walking in a different direction.”
Mr Flynn’s daughter, Beverley, a former Fianna Fáil TD, said she did not know if her father would attend the meeting on Friday.
Minister of State Joe Costello said last night the idea of stopping pensions of those with negative findings against them may need a referendum. “But I think it is a matter that we should look at and at the present time we are establishing a constitutional convention,” he told RTÉ’s The Week in Politics.
