CORK EAST TD Ned O’Keeffe has predicted a change of leadership in Fianna Fáil ahead of this year’s general election.
Mr O’Keeffe, who has called on Mr Cowen to resign immediately, said his preference as Mr Cowen’s successor would be Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.
“I believe we have to have a leadership change before the election.
“While I dislike saying that, I think there’s no alternative. Otherwise there’ll be no party,” Mr O’Keeffe said.
He described the unexpected announcements of the resignation of Minister of State Michael Finneran and former minister of state Mary Wallace as “the straw that broke the camel’s back” in terms of support for Mr Cowen.
Mr Finneran was known to be a close ally of Mr Cowen’s and Ms Wallace came from a “traditional Fianna Fáil family”, he explained.
Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy-Rae, the Independents on whom the Government now depends for its majority, indicated at the end of last September [2010] they would not continue to support the Government if Fianna Fáil changed its leader and nominated a new taoiseach to replace Mr Cowen.
Mr Healy-Rae’s son, Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae, yesterday said this remained his father’s position. Mr Lowry could not be contacted.
Mr O’Keeffe, a frequent critic of Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, also claimed there was “considerable Cabinet unease” about the “powers vested in the Minister for Finance by himself”. He referred to a “secret” High Court hearing that sanctioned the transfer of €3.7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund to AIB. This followed the controversial Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Act 2010 being signed into law by President Mary McAleese last December [2010] after consultation with the Council of State about its constitutionality.
“There is far too much secrecy and too little transparency in the manner in which the Government is conducting its business.” Meanwhile, Ms Wallace’s announcement on Saturday brings the number of TDs who have confirmed they will not contest the election to 26. The other 13 Fianna Fáil deputies are: Seán Ardagh; Bertie Ahern (former taoiseach); Dermot Ahern (Minister for Justice); Martin Cullen (former minister for arts, sport and tourism, who resigned last March); Noel Dempsey (Minister for Transport); Tony Killeen (Minister for Defence); Michael Finneran (Minister of State for Housing); Beverley Flynn; Tom Kitt; Dr James McDaid (resigned last November); MJ Nolan; Dr Rory O’Hanlon and Dr Michael Woods.
The seven Fine Gael deputies who are stepping down are: Ulick Burke; Paul Connaughton; Seymour Crawford; Olwyn Enright; Pádraic McCormack; Jim O’Keeffe and PJ Sheehan. The three Labour TDs are Michael D Higgins, Liz McManus and Mary Upton, while Sinn Féin’s Arthur Morgan and Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae have also confirmed they will retire.
