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A FIANNA FÁIL TD has dismissed the suggestion that his party colleague Éamon Ó Cúiv may run for president.
It emerged yesterday that a letter calling for support for Ó Cúiv to be the next president of Ireland had been sent to councillors across the country.
The letter was sent by Galway Councillor Ollie Crowe who said the TD would make an “outstanding candidate”. He said he had told Ó Cúiv about his plan to sent out the letter, but the TD west Galway TD has yet to publicly comment on it himself.
Party leader Micheál Martin confirmed last month that the party will support President Michael D Higgins’ candidacy. Fianna Fáil councillors were also asked by the party not to facilitate the nomination of any challenger to the incumbent.
In his letter to councillors, Crowe said “sitting on the sidelines is simply not a suitable or appropriate option, our party’s role is to run in political races not turn away from them”.
“The lack of consultation with representatives and members of the party in making this decision was an error but it is not one we need to live with.”
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said the position of the party has been “very clear” and that members of the parliamentary party had been given a chance at their meeting last month to make their views known.
“I don’t really see this going anywhere to tell you the truth,” he said.
Éamon Ó Cúiv, from my own point of view, is a very straight up, stand up type of guy and if he were interested in running for the presidency, he would have said it at the time when it was discussed at our parliamentary party [meeting].
He said he had spoken to councillors in his constituency and they were not “queuing up to me to say we should have a presidential candidate”.
“I don’t think he will be running,” he said.
While Collins dismissed the suggestion of a party candidate, Fianna Fáil senator Mark Daly told Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ today that the party should have ran a candidate of its own. He stated that he had toyed with the idea of running, but only if the party had decided to put forward a candidate.
It’s understood that earlier this morning, a text message was sent to all members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party stating:
‘The only body with the authority and ability to nominate a Fianna Fáil candidate for the presidential election is the Parliamentary Party. The Parliamentary Party has made a decision with regard to this matter.”
Sources within Fianna Fáil have criticised the way in which the decision to back Higgins was made with one politician telling TheJournal.ie that it was not the agenda for discussion at the parliamentary party meeting on the night in question.
“When the powers that be saw a poor turnout at parliamentary party meeting only 22 they were opportunistic and brought the topic up for discussion.”
Yesterday, Councillor Crowe said the party’s leadership was out of touch with its own membership.
With additional reporting by Christina Finn
Waterford County Council is due to address the topic at its meeting later today – follow our reporter Paul Hosford for updates.
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He deserves a lengthy jail sentence, I wonder how many other times he had alcohol taken and didn’t get caught. Airlines need to breathalyse pilots as standard procedure like some coach companies do.
He likely faked the faint after a member of cabin crew said something to him, trying to fake illness perhaps!
Are you two related? Honestly now…
Lol, I didn’t realise, posted with FB account then replied to myself with Twitter account
Haha.. classic
Should be a lifetime ban from flying for that, too serious a crime.
Don’t get the last sentence.. Surely he wasn’t on the flight to Cancun??
Yep, he was heading south of the border for some serious partying………
Tosser should never be allowed to fly again.
What an inconsiderate arse!
When you’re being breathalyzed in Canada the Mountie asks you to say Saskatchewan without blinking.
Haha, being Canadian I found that funny!
I wonder how they got the horses onto the airplane……..
He was Slovakian, just a work permit, throws it all away.
“The authorities said the pilot had more than three times the authorized amount of alcohol (0.08% in Canada) in his body two hours after his arrest.”
… what is the alcohol rate for a pilot – it is 0.025? Or did he have 0.24 which would be half our driving limit. Interesting what behaving strangely meant – most people would appear after a pint,
A Career Terminating Move I hope
Professional drivers in Ireland is zero percent, I presume the same applies for pilots.
Not true.
The limit for professional and learner drivers is 20mls per 100 mlts.
There are no zero limits because while it sounds great it’s impractical.
Remember, zero means even the most minute amount of alcohol from for example a mouthwash could land somebody in prison.
@Tom Burke: Ross is rabbitting on about making 20 the standard for all drivers in Ireland. I have my doubts if its the drivers between 20 and 50 or 50 and 80 for that matter are behind so many deaths. 50 is a sensible level.
Read the same article (practically verbatim) on the BBC yesterday – assume he was 0.24
At least he had a good NYE party.
Those autopilots are far too good…’Captain you are over the limit will you please take a pillow and lie back while I take control of this flight to Mehico’!
Sauce for the Moose?
I really don’t care but I am just wondering, was he put in jail or left back on the plane again ?
The pilot was subsequently escorted out of the plane and was placed in jail, police said.
OR
The flight took off with another pilot maneuvering the Boeing 737 plane with 99 passengers and six crewmembers, including the pilot who was charged.
Scarey, no?
have your say