FF dismisses call by McDaid for general election in new year

DISSIDENT FIANNA Fáil TD Jim McDaid has called for a general election to be held in the new year, once the Lisbon referendum, the Nama legislation debate, and the budget have all been completed.

Dr McDaid, who resigned from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last year, told The Irish Times that an election should be held in February or March of 2010 on the basis that the party’s losses then would be more manageable than a “total decimation” if an election were held at a later stage.

He said that once the Government had steered through Lisbon, Nama and the Budget over the next 100 days, Taoiseach Brian Cowen should go to the country.

An election at that juncture, he said, would allow enough Fianna Fáil “thoroughbreds” to be re-elected.

Dr McDaid’s comments were dismissed by Mr Cowen who said that the Donegal North East deputy was no longer a member of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.

“We are less than halfway through our term. There’s a lot of work to be done.

“It’s not obvious to me that there is a coherent alternative on the other side of the House, given the very disparate policies each respective party has,” he told Kildare station KFM.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern described the call as “nonsense” and said an election would not be in the best interests of the country.

Mr McDaid said the Government was making the very difficult decisions which needed to be done but that the public did not agree with the policies and had no confidence in the Government.

He said his concern was that, if Fianna Fáil continued in power, its low ratings in opinion polls could drop even further and that the party would be decimated.

“I think that we should give the people an election in the best interests of the country. If we do not do so, we will be seen as hanging on to power and I believe the party will bear the brunt of that,” he said.

“If there was an election at this time, people would have to think a little more about what they are saying now, especially if the tough and necessary measures had been taken.

“Sure, Fianna Fáil would lose and Fine Gael and Labour would win. But there would be enough thoroughbreds left on the bench to bring the party back again. If we left it later, it could be worse.”

Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said she believed the Government would run its full course and suggested that Dr McDaid should consider rejoining Fianna Fáil as a means of avoiding a general election.