Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
SENATOR AVERIL POWER has announced she is leaving Fianna Fáil.
She made the announcement this afternoon at Leinster House.
Power was elected to the Seanad in 2011, where she was the party’s spokesperson on education and skills.
She will serve out the remainder of her term as an independent Senator and said he has “no intention” of joining another political party.
The news will come as a blow to Fianna Fáil, who had received a boost over the weekend with Bobby Aylward winning the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election.
Power was one of the favourites to be chosen as Fianna Fáil’s general election candidate in Dublin Bay North, where she would have faced competition from former minister Seán Haughey, and councillors Deirdre Heney and Tom Brabazon.
She unsuccessfully contested the 2011 general election in the Dublin North–East constituency.
The senator has clashed with party leader Micheál Martin in the past over the lack of female representation in Fianna Fáil.
In her announcement, Power said the party ”lacks vision, courage and leadership”, describing Martin as “a leader without any followers”.
Power was extremely critical of the party, saying it “doesn’t know what it stands for and lacks credible policies on most major issues” and “is afraid of taking clear positions in key debates for fear of losing support”.
She said Martin’s frontbench “are all pulling in different directions and prioritising their personal political success over the needs of the party and the country”.
Power said the party is “simply not fit for government”.
The senator was particularly active in campaigning for a Yes vote in the same-sex marriage referendum.
She said the Fianna Fáil’s approach to the referendum was cowardly and cynical, and symbolises “everything that is wrong with the party”.
Power told reporters:
I know I would have a strong chance of being elected for Fianna Fáil in the next election. But I have come to the conclusion that I don’t want to be a Fianna Fáil TD. I want to be true to myself and have the courage to walk away from the party.
I am therefore resigning from Fianna Fáil, effective immediately.
I am doing so with a heavy heart as I have many good friends in the party. I am also immensely grateful to everybody who has supported me over the last few years.
It was not an easy decision to make but I am convinced it is the right thing to do.
Having lost my faith in Fianna Fáil, I cannot in good conscience knock on doors in Dublin Bay North and ask people to vote for the party. In my view, they are simply not fit for government.
https://vine.co/v/eqEgzalq9Xt
During her time in the Seanad, Power has co-sponsored a bill that proposes giving adoptees greater identity rights, such as access to their birth cert, and proposed a motion to recognise the State of Palestine.
Power has removed all references to Fianna Fáil from her Twitter bio, and her website is down. She is married to Irish Independent editor Fionnan Sheahan.
Fianna Fáil Castlebar councillor Lisa Chambers said the timing of Power’s announcement is “opportunistic and is clearly the start of her [general election] campaign”.
Chambers said Power’s decision to not tell other people in the party beforehand was “a poor way to treat your colleagues”.
However, she said she was “upset to see her go” as “she was a great advocate for women in the party”.
- with reporting from Hugh O’Connell
Originally published: 12pm
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good for her. Fed up with Fianna Fail fence sitting no doubt.
Probably. It’s amazing how the leading opposition party has managed to coast through the past few years without taking a position on anything.
As opposed to FG tyranny and Lab traitorous behaviour!!!!!
Off with their heads and other such overly dramatic diatribe…..
Cowardly and cynical; in fairness she has it spot on. Too much of our politics now is purely about optics, with little substance.
They’re all a shower of sh11tes, but I have a lot of respect for her for this. If it was just positioning for GE (which it very well could be), I’d wouldn’t expect her to attack the party and leadership so ferociously but rather give the usual, generic, oft-rolled out “lost confidence” line.
In fairness to Power she wasn’t elected to represent anybody so she is entitled to represent herself but not at the peoples expense. If she had any morals she should resign from the Senate as well.
@ Paul Mc “If she had any morals”…
Quick question. Who defines what morals she should adhere to or were you just being overly dramatic? (Kinda 2 questions I guess).
The question here is how did it take a shrewd operator like Averil took so long to realize that her party are shameless populists and have been for several decades , (QED: Willie O Dea , the king of clientalism and his truly nauseating from “dail to dole” program on TV3)). . It is surprising though even if Averil was blinded by the glow and promise of new FF that hubby and dour political commentator Fionnan never gave Avs a objective analysis of his wife’s party over the pillow ?? If i was a cynic i might think she was trying to cash in on the political capital she has earned from being an high profile advocate for the TA campaign . Where it wasn’t good enough to be a Yes campaigner but it was competition to be the “Yessest” person ever !. G’wan Ireland !!
@Mk47
The lady Is an unelected politician, she has being on the public payroll for several years and only now when an election is looming and Independents have a great chance of being elected to the Dail she jogs on from Fianna Fail,now it doesn’t take a rocket science to smell political opportunism at best.
Why not just say that then, instead of playing the BS “morality” card?
Fair dues to her. Thought she was brilliant in the Marriage Referendum, and it irked me that she was in Fianna Fail. Great decision.
A politician from a corrupt party married to an editor from a corrupt media agency.
Get a grip she’s as rotten to the core as the rest of FF.
Some very cynical comments on here. Maybe she genuinely had a pain in her face fighting the good fight for marriage equality on behalf of a party that wasn’t actually bothered about an idea as silly as human rights, though it purported to be. Well done Ms Power.. and there’s nothing wrong with good timing either!
FF have absolutely no female Oireachtas member now.
And now only one Dublin based senator as far as I know. Still no TDs.
At the end of the Day …Avril who? What’s she famous for? Maybe it’s something got to do with the upcoming selection process in North Dublin?
Let’s hope it stays that way Reg.
It genuinely angers me that they get to continue their charade of acting like a legitimate political party.
Averil was the star of Fianna Fail in pushing for SSM while the rest of the old boys club sat on the fence waiting to see which way the wind was blowing.
The woman would do anything for Power.
After being in FF while they wrecked the country.. Now with a selection convention coming up she decides they no good?!
Just more grubby internal politics, she wanted to be the only candidate in her constituency, the rest is just spin, the indo is treating the story as if it was a national tragedy, oh yeah, I forgot, her husband is the editor.
Mary White?
At least MM got elected to the dail unlike Mrs power
Good. Shes a hugely effective and capable person whose achilles heel has been her association with that shower.
Best wishes to her for the future.
(Incidentally, thejournal needs to analyse properly the ‘boost’ FF received from Aylwards win over the weekend. It was actually FFs WORST performance in the constituency in the history of the state. They actually got a lower percentage of the vote than they did in the 2011 wipeout of the party.It was also FG and Labours worst ever polling in that constituency.)
and yet still both FG and FF candidates polled 6% and 10% approx higher than SF
Wayne don’t spoil it for him.
Have SF actually won any by election yet, has being 5 or 6 so far!
Worst performance in that constituency for FF, FG and labour since the constituency was formed in 1918.
FG support almost halved, SF support up over 70%
I’ll take that.
Actually no were jammin all the main parties had one candidate as opposed to 2 or 3 in the last election, no single candidate has more than 15% of first pref votes.
Aylward received 18,000 more votes than he did in the last GE! But facts and figures don’t seem to be SF’s strong point!
Even Renua got a higher percentage vote than the AAA & PBP put together ‘were jamming”. Clutching at straws, when SF lost ‘bobby sands’ seat in Northern Ireland you were saying the exact opposite.
That’s the type of lack of ambition and complacency that’s seen SF fail to make more out of the best opportunity they’ve ever, or likely every will, have.
All through the 2011-2016 dail they’ve been satisfied to say “We’re not losing by-elections elections by as much as we used to! We’ve took an entire TWO county councils in the council elections! We won’t get into government next year but we’ll be a bigger opposition party than the Socialist Party! Break out the bubbly!”
Perhaps if there was anything remotely resembling a price for failure in the SF leadership they’d actually start bothering to *try* and win.
@ Wayne, plus the FG candidate received more votes than the SF one. ‘were jamming’ is not a SF supporter however.
@ jason “Clutching at straws, when SF lost ‘bobby sands’ seat in Northern Ireland you were saying the exact opposite”
Link please…
Yea. I’ll go trawling for it, if you can’t remember what you said, maybe you should see a dr.
Just to remind you, you said that the pact between the unionist parties cost SF the seat but there was no pact in KK/Carlow, so what happened to SF? And how did the new party on the block, Renua, get more votes than AAA & BPB?
Jason you obviously no very little about politics in this country if you have to ask those questions. Do yourself a favour and start reading Adrian Kavanagh or other political scientists sites if you don’t know why a local conservative councillor got more votes than far left candidates in a rural traditional constituency like CK. It’s not rocket science.
SF are also very happy with this result, from one of their weakest constituencies their share of the vote sets them up very nicely to take a seat next year. This constituency has always been dominated by FFG so, while disheartening to some with the share of the vote they took, there has been a drop in support for both which can only be a good thing.
Pat again there hasn’t been a drop in vote, rather both ran one candidate rather than 2/4. The winner in this bye election polled 26,000 votes almost 18,000 more votes than he did in the last election. So I am not sure how you think their support dropped
“So I am not sure how you think their support dropped”
FFs share of the vote in 2011 was 28.1%, last Friday it was 27.8%
The fact that 28.1 is a larger number than 27.8 is why I think their support has dropped.
and yet FF won the seat and SF didn’t….
Could see that coming for a while! Best of luck to her!
Micheal Martin will set up a commission to investigate. It will be asked to report in 18 months time, after the election, to ensure that its findings will be taken into account for the subsequent election.
Well, she’s right about Martin
Senator Averil Power is a politician of the highest integrity, vision and decency. It is very sad to see Senator Power resign because Fianna Fail desperately needs politicians of such calibre.
I am not a Fianna Fail supporters but Fianna Fail is essential to democratic heath is party politics. Losing Senator Power is a great blow.
Fianna fail is not essential to anything, they should just merge with FG now and get it over with.
I always wondered what she was ever doing with them to be honest as she actually spoke some sense at times
Well done to Averil Power.
Averil Power put massive personal effort into the Referendum Campaign (Irish Times noted last week that she’d even paid for referendum leaflets from her own pocket). She got a massive cheer from the crowd at Dublin Castle when she appeared on stage on Saturday – clearly they were aware of her efforts and her strong speeches during the passage of the Child & Family Relationships Bill.
Media had also been reporting that FF’s actual Equality spokesman (Niall Collins) had been dragging his heels through this.
Averil’s obviously just had enough of FF. Wherever she goes now, she’s a face to watch.
Another unelected wannabe throwing a hissy fit, she has shamelessly stuck with FF who destroyed our economy and now when she can’t get whatever it is she thinks she’s entitled to she throws her toys out of the pram .Don’t worry if push comes to shove her husband will have a word with Dennis O Brien and get her a directorship with Topaz ,her old boss can be her new boss ,take Lorraine Higgins with you and don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out .
Poor Michael Martin! His little victory balloon on Saturday now totally deflated. A second rate TD elected on the back of an anti Phil Hogan vote who scraped in on the eighth or what is the ninth count? Pathetic! Now what seemed like a bright star in a rotten Party coming out and telling it as it really is in Fianna Fáil.
If he had an ounce of humility he would go and take the disintegrating rump of that corrupt regime with him.
I always felt slightly grubby admiring Averil Power because of her FF connections, good to see she has moved away from their toxicity.
No political party in the state is good enough for her really.
I really can’t see her joining ReNua and would be disappointed if she did. They might present a ‘whipless’ party structure but, at the moment anyway, are comprised of socially conservative types.
I’ve long admired her conviction and ability to marry passion and pragmatism when debating. She’d be an asset to any party but if she stays Independent, has a very good chance of being elected.
Ireland needs more politicians like her, who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Well done Averil.
I dare say that all ReNua’s ‘whipless’ structure will mean in practice is that there’ll be no formal, or accountable structure for determining and agreeing the party line — I’m sure members will be made to feel, one way or another, what the leadership consider acceptable views. And I don’t see Power’s being remotely acceptable to them.
A bright young star for the future has just dimmed in Fianna Fails eyes. Never mind, no doubt Renua will come knocking on her door…..
…and get it slammed in their faces, I’d imagine.
Renua would be the last option she would go for.
She has a stong liberal viewpoint with a radical social agenda. FF were not moving quickly enough for her on issues like abortion, euthanasia etc.
I’d actually vote for her now.
Why, because now she decides to leave FF after staying with them all these years. She was going to struggle to get nominated in the FF convention so she decided to jump ship. People are so gullible and naive in this country when it comes to politics.
Renua’s newest member/candidate?
Not a chance, I’d have thought. Why break with FF for moving too slowly on socially progressive issues and then go join a party that seems to have teleported in from the 1950s?
More suited to SF or Labour with her liberal outlook. Good luck to her I say.
Whatever about her ability, her real motivation for the move is because she’d struggle to get selected at convention against Haughey. Just following in the footsteps of David McGuiness & Paddy Mckee by conveniently blaming party leadership, and desperately trying to appeal to the 80% of the electorate who are anti-FF.
Well spotted.
That’s the kind of honesty we expect from a Fianna Fáil politician.
I know this is wrong but I just keep thinking how great her hair looks. Fair play to her glad she has found a conscience…..
… and a hair colour that suits her.
She is correct about FFs cynical approach to the referendum. When she criticised backbenchers for not canvassing, they said they wouldn’t because it might hurt them especially in the by election. As usual with FF they are only concerned with the interests of their members not principles. They tried to have it both ways in CWKK, with Bobby Aylward supporting yes with reservations, while John McGuinness said he was voting no. I think lgbt voters should give FF a wide berth. They only decriminalised homosexuality because of pressure from Labour in 1993.
Good on you Averil.
Didn’t see it coming but fair play she has a lot going for her, a very credible politician
FG, Renua or Independent at the next election?
Or will she stand at all? I didn’t see a confirmation from her that she would, which would be a shame.
She won’t go to Renua – FF were already too socially conservative for her. FG, I imagine, will be offering her the moon to be their new star signing so it’s possible, I guess. But I’m sure she’s aware of how quickly FG tend to get bored of such star signings and begin to ignore them.
So, Independent would be my guess. It might actually be nice to have a reasonable, articulate, intelligent Independent contributing to the debate for a change.
Almost definitely not Renua, but maybe FG given that they campaigned strongly on the referendum even though it was against their traditional values. Then again, maybe Labour too.
As much as I’d like to, I can’t see her joining Labour. She’s socially progressive, but her economic instincts still seem very much in the centre right sphere.
Averil is too good for them.
She is a very admirable politician.
Rare.
@TheJournal suggest new headline:
Power pulls the plug on Fianna Fail
or maybe:
Power failure for Martin?
Got the feeling that she liked the sound of her own voice during the referendum campaign, and this just confirms it.
Massive blow to the party. She championed woman in politics from within the party, but really FF has no interests in getting women or keeping women in the party. This has to be the beginning of the end to FF, I’m saddened to say. She is right that their is ‘no leadership within FF’. The Fianna Fail that I knew, and once loved, changed massively in the last number of years. No longer are they interested in grassroots organic growth of the party,but those in HQ wish to run the party from their desks in Merrion Road, deciding who runs where and when. If your not out of Trinity or have a degree of sorts your unfortunately going to be put on the back burner. One member, one vote is a joke as HQ will always gets what it wants. Hard to go solo as an independent but I’m guessing some group will snap her up. Wonder how Fionnan will react to this. The Irish Indo just got interesting.
I’m sorry but I’ve no sympathy with her. You never quit a party over differences with ur leader.
If that happened Fianna Fail would have been split in two when Haughey went up against George Colley or FG with the Enda Kenny Heave.
Over the weekend FF got some positive news, for all the negativity and history they are still polling high (let’s not forget FG were on 12% in 92). Sounds to me like someone throwing her toys out of the pram after knowingly bi**hing about someone for so long, that she has dug her own grave.
Who cares, she’s just an unelected nobody.
Why anyone would join a party with Whip system is beyond belief. You will always be beholden to what ever crack pot idea your leader has.
I do not see Fíanna Fáil getting into power for at least another decade. The electorate have long memories.
If only that were true. Pretty much every poll since 2012 has put FF as part of the new government – shockingly sometimes even as *the senior partner* in that government. At the moment it seems pretty stable that they’ll be a junior coalition partner to FG, probably with Labour along for the ride.
Depressing, mind-boggling, but true.
Her resignation speech is a photo copy of her husbands scathing articles of Michael Martin in the Denis o Brien paper-
Let her off
As a woman she should have no say in anything except dinner
Off to Renua by the evenong
I think she’s nice
Popcorn, someone get me more popcorn !
Fair play to her!
She has gone up in my estimation
I admired her stance on a variety of issues, just thought it was a pity she was FF..
Problem solved!!
She was way too good for Fianna Fáil . A woman of peerless courage determination and conviction within the houses of the Oireachtas .
Rats and sinking ships spring to mind.Be prepared for more of the furry creatures jumping ship, too late though.
Never really FF…..
Fair play to her. FF is no place for women as the demographic at the recent ard fheis and Carlow Kilkenny election convention proves.
Averil was far and away the best of the FF bunch.
ReNua! You joking?
Labour would be more like it.
Shame she would have been a great leader probably why Mickey let her leave
Good riddance, no loss
Good riddens to her. Can’t understand why she had to have a wee press conference. The poor little martyr……..
F Sheehan now has f fail and Sinn Fein to bash twice the material
I always thought she looked like Claire Underwood. Maybe she got the idea from the “I’m leaving you” line.
Fair play to her, too.
Avril is a complete tosser. Absolutely no class, not a shred! If she wanted to leave FF she should have left and kept her differences to herself. She’s a rat trying to leave a sinking ship whilst trying to take advantage of the weekend’s vote on SSM and trying to save her career in time for the next election. A real nasty piece of work and I hope she never gets elected to anything! Typical politician trying to distance herself from a non-popular brand! Avril, I hope you get all you deserve and get destroyed in whatever short political career you have left.
#GE2016
Another cynical attempt by one of our political elite to get elected as a TD in an environment where there is no hope of being elected via FF. to come out and slate your party so aggressively and surprisingly shows how shallow an attribute loyalty is for these people. Not being sympathetic for FF, it just amazes me how someon can become turncoat, slate people who were your colleagues yesterday no think we will swallow it. Not here baby!
I think that Averil Power commands a hell of a lot of respect from the people and that she will comfortably take a seat in the next parliament .
have your say