FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin has disciplined a senator who took part in what appeared to be the launch of a candidate in Northern Ireland.
Martin has sacked Senator Mark Daly as the party’s deputy leader in the Seanad and has taken away his portfolio as Seanad spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Diaspora and Brexit.
Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív also took part in the launch, but there is no word yet as to whether he will face similar sanctions. Ó Cuív is the party’s frontbench spokesman on rural affairs.
In a statement, using perhaps more delicate language, the party said Martin has “reassigned a number of responsibilities in the Party’s Seanad Éireann team”.
It confirmed that Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee will become the group Deputy Leader, while Senator Ned O’Sullivan will take responsibility for Foreign Affairs, the Irish Overseas and Diaspora.
Martin has wished both senators well in their new roles.
Reacting to the news today, Daly said in a statement:
I accept the decision of the leader and I will continue to work hard on behalf of my constituents.
In my position as foreign affairs spokesperson, for the last number of years I have worked closely with John Deasy TD in his role as the Government’s US Envoy, our party spokespersons on foreign Affairs, members of the US Congress, as well as the White House on the proposed visas for Irish citizens. I have been working closely with all sides and hope to continue to assist in this important issue and if necessary go to DC, as we work to reach an agreement in the coming weeks.
Having written the first report in the history of the Dail or Senate on Irish Unity. I will also continue to work on this and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
There was utter confusion within Fianna Fáil at the end of last month as a candidate for the next local elections in the Northern Ireland was announced without the full backing of the party.
At an event in Tyrone, which was attended by O’Cúiv and Daly, councillor Sorcha McAnespy, who is already a member of the party’s national executive, was announced as the party’s candidate in the local elections.
Standing next to Ó Cuív, as well as Daly, McAnespy was photographed holding a photo of herself with the Fianna Fail branding. The two politicians announced that they were the directors for her election campaign.
McAnespy claimed the Fianna Fáil party leader informed her that she will be a Fianna Fáil Party candidate in the Northern Ireland local elections. This was backed up by a number of people who sit on the executive. When asked by TheJournal.ie if this was the case, a press spokesperson said “no comment” at the time.
Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary has said it was “premature” for Councillor McAnespy to be told she would be a Fianna Fáil candidate at the next local elections in the north.
However, the party rolled back on the announcement in a tweet, stating that no such decision to run candidates in the north had been taken and the party is still in talks with the SDLP. There has been talk about a possible merger between the two parties in the future.
Fianna Fáil HQ were extremely unhappy in what has been described as a “rogue move” against the party leader and for going solo announcing her candidacy without having the authority to do so.
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