Hanafin: Fianna Fáil’s Dublin performance is ‘brutal’

Former minister for education Mary Hanafin has described Fianna Fáil's performance in Dublin as "brutal", "appalling" and "awful".

Ms Hanafin also said she will seek the party’s nomination in Dun Laoghaire at the next general election, having lost her seat in the constituency in 2011.

Her comments on RTE Radio's 'Today with Sean O'Rourke' show come after former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also described the party's opinion poll showing in the capital as "brutal".

“The opinion polls aren’t exactly in our favour, pretty awful at the moment,” she said, adding that it “doesn’t auger” well for the local and European elections on May 23rd.

Speaking privately this afternoon, a Fianna Fáil TD accused Ms Hanafin of "smarting" over not securing the party's nomination for the European Parliament in Dublin.

Ms Hanafin is understood to have expressed an interest privately in running, but ruled herself out before Fianna Fáil chose Mary Fitzpatrick as its candidate.