TAOISEACH Micheál Martin is facing questions over his leadership of Fianna Fáil in the wake of last week's poor by-election result and fresh research showing voters believe the party is in "turmoil".
Private research into how the voters perceive the party that dominated politics in the Republic for almost a century highlights a belief that it is divided with “very damaging” splits among its TDs.
The public regard Fianna Fáil as disunited, believe its TDs are not focused on a positive agenda, and that the party is in a state of “turmoil", the research found.
The polling and focus group research carried out in recent months emerged just days after Fianna Fáil's candidate received just five per cent of the share of first preference votes in the Dublin Bay South by-election.
Labour's Ivana Bacik, who topped the poll after the first count, was deemed elected on the ninth and final count.
Mr Martin said the election reflected voters' respect for and esteem in which they held Ms Bacik.
The Fianna Fáil leader has faced internal criticism in the aftermath of the bruising by-election, with Dublin Bay South TD Jim O'Callaghan, tipped by many as a potential successor to Mr Martin, unable to say whether the taoiseach will lead the party into the next general election.
The Irish Times yesterday quoted an unnamed Fianna Fáil minister who had been briefed on the research, which shows the party losing support to Fine Gael.
“The stuff at the parliamentary party – it’s very damaging,” the minister said.
However, other Fianna Fáil cabinet members defended the taoiseach.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue voiced confidence in Mr Martin, saying critics of the leader should “cop on”.
“It’s time that a minority in the party copped on and got with the programme,” he said. “A small minority are distracting from that work and are more interested in navel gazing than getting on with supporting the very hard and genuine work the party is doing in government.”
Minister of State Mary Butler said internal criticism is “so unhelpful, the carry on of a small minority of members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party while we’re dealing with a possible fourth wave [of Covid] and trying to open up the country”.
Speaking privately, one senior minister said that internal critics targeting Mr Martin in the wake of the Dublin Bay South result should deal with the issue “as opposed to trying to nationalise it and pour petrol on the fire”.
Ministers of State Niall Collins, Thomas Byrne and James Browne agreed Mr Martin should lead the party into the next election, and rejected the suggestion that he should step down as leader when the taoiseach’s office rotates.
