Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is not “as exercised as others” about an internal Fianna Fáil review into Jim Gavin’s failed presidential election campaign.
Speaking to the media at a Garda passing-out ceremony at the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, Mr Martin rejected the suggestion his party’s review into the presidential campaign, and the choice of Mr Gavin as candidate, had been delayed.
“The review is being undertaken in a very comprehensive way, there’s no issue with it and I’m a bit bemused by the commentary, frankly,” he said.
He added those carrying out the review “should be allowed to get on with it” and he was “not as exercised about it as others might be”.
RM Block
Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators learned at their parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday that the review will now not be completed until early December. The review panel is chaired by barrister Ciarán O’Loughlin and its report was originally due on November 12th.
Mr Martin spoke to the media alongside Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, who said the Taoiseach “deserves a lot of the credit” for how Fianna Fáil performed at last year’s general election.
“I think we need to have a broader perspective of issues,” he said, when asked if the results of the review may aid his aspirations to succeed Mr Martin as party leader.
When asked if he saw Mr O’Callaghan as his successor, Mr Martin laughed, saying he saw him as “a very effective Minister for Justice who’s doing a first-class job”.
While the presidential election was a “very deeply disappointing experience” for Fianna Fáil, he had “not allowed that to divert me ... from our relentless focus on really serious issues facing the Irish people”.
Asked by The Irish Times if rebels within the party may be encouraged to back Mr O’Callaghan in a leadership challenge – especially if he was criticised in the review – Mr Martin said the “most important issue” was to “let the review get on with its work, I’m not going to speculate or comment”.
Mr O’Callaghan declined to offer a response to the same question.
Former Dublin football manager Mr Gavin, Mr Martin’s preferred candidate, withdrew from the presidential campaign in early October after revelations he owed a former tenant €3,300 in overpaid rent. Mr Gavin subsequently paid the tenant back.
His name remained on the ballot paper and the Fianna Fáil candidate got just 7.2 per cent of the vote.
