FINE GAEL TD and Senators last night endorsed leader Enda Kenny’s proposals to abolish Seanad Éireann at a marathon meeting of the parliamentary party .
At the meeting, which lasted for 3½ hours, many Senators and a small number of TDS criticised the decision.
However, Mr Kenny has won strong support from leading front bench members since he announced the new policy position in a speech last weekend. Several key members of Fine Gael in the Seanad, Frances Fitzgerald, Paschal Donohoe and Liam Twomey have also given unambiguous approval to the plan.
Mr Kenny faced outspoken criticism from a number of TDs in addition to the Senators who have already gone public with their criticisms.
The Kildare North TD Bernard Durkan and the Meath East deputy Shane McEntee were said to have made particularly hard-hitting contributions during a meeting that one source said had involved a “lot of exercised contributions”.
“Everybody has been having their say. There has been a lot of criticism of the decision,” said the source.
Mr Durkan was the only TD who still expressed reservations about the proposal at the conclusion of the meeting.
In a statement issued late last night, the party chairman Tom Hayes that the party had “fully endorsed Mr Kenny’s announcement of party policy on political reform, including the abolition of the Seanad and the reduction of TD numbers”.
During the course of last night’s meeting, and an earlier meeting with Senators yesterday, Mr Kenny asserted his right to make decisions as leader of Fine Gael.
He also strongly defended his views that the Seanad should be abolished.
A large number of Senators, and some TDs, at both meetings expressed strong opposition to the proposal and also to the manner in which it was done.
Following the meeting with Senators yesterday afternoon, the party’s leader in the Seanad Frances Fitzgerald issued a statement in which she stated that the Fine Gael Senate Group had “accepted the decision of the party leader”.
However, Senators who attended the meeting emphasised that the decision to back Mr Kenny was by no means unanimous and that several senators had been outspoken in their opposition to the move. One Senator, who did not wish to be named, said there were some “angry and frank exchanges” between Senators and Mr Kenny.
They included Senators Jerry Buttimer from Cork South Centeral, Nicky McFadden from Westmeath; Paul Bradford from Cork East and the two Waterford Senators Paudie Coffey and Maurice Cummins. Paul Coglan from Co Kerry also spoke against the move. However, Ms Fitzgerald, Paddy Burke, Liam Twomey and Paschal Donohoe all strongly backed Mr Kenny’s position.
The party spokesman later said that the meeting had given senators an opportunity to express views on the outcome of the issue but also pointed out that the group had recognised the right of Mr Kenny to make that decision.
The parliamentary party meeting, which got under way, at 7pm last night was also dominated by the controversial new policy position.
The issue also dominated the order of business in the Seanad, with Government and independent senators denouncing the decision. Leader of the Seanad, Donie Cassidy of Fianna Fáil said that he had seen a “lot of gobsmacked faces from some remarkable [Fine Gael] contributions” when Mr Kenny made his dramatic announcement on Saturday night.
Fine Gael senators voted on a motion that deplored that delay inimplementing the recommendations on Seanad reform, that was also supported by Labour.