Fine Gael's grassroots will get a voice in the election of the next leader of the party under a plan to create an electoral college, including party members, TDs, senators and councillors.
The issue will be put to a special meeting of the party next weekend in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co Westmeath, which is expected to be attended by 200 delegates.
Under the plan, the FG parliamentary party will control 65 per cent of the electoral college vote, 25 per cent will be controlled by the ordinary membership and 10 per cent by local councillors. Fine Gael Ardfheis delegates accepted that the leader should be elected by a college, and re-elected every two years subsequently.
Under this proposal, put forward by Young Fine Gael delegate, Cllr Leo Varadkar, the parliamentary party would have had just 50 per cent, 30 per cent for the general membership and 20 per cent for local authority members. The proposal was subsequently overturned, however, when it was put to a full vote of the party organisation throughout the Republic.
The proposal has been discussed by the FG executive council over recent months, which is chaired by the FG leader, Mr Enda Kenny.
The parliamentary party has discussed the issue, though it has not formally agreed to it. Future candidates will have to be members of the parliamentary party and nominated by 10 per cent of its membership seven days following the creation of a vacancy.
