Varadkar says no new election team as Flannery talks of return

There are no plans to recruit new members to Fine Gael's general election strategy team, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has said.

His comments came after former Rehab director Frank Flannery said his return as a strategist was "possibly" being considered.

Mr Flannery, who resigned from his positions as party trustee and director of local elections last March following the Rehab controversy, indicated that he would like to resume advising the party on electoral strategy.

However, Mr Varadkar told The Irish Times: "My own view is that Frank has done Fine Gael enormous service down the years, but the Fine Gael election committee has already been established and there are no plans for new members."

Election committee

The party’s national election strategy committee is chaired by Minister for Justice

Frances Fitzgerald

and also includes Mr Varadkar, Minister for Agriculture

Simon Coveney

and Minister for Children

James Reilly

.

Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan and Senator Paul Coughlan are also on the committee, which has been charged with devising an election strategy.

Mr Flannery said the next election would be “possibly the most important in any of our lifetimes” when he spoke to Marian Finucane on RTÉ Radio One on Sunday.

“Could I make a difference? Haven’t a clue . . . Has the party asked me to come back as a strategist? No it hasn’t. Is it thinking about it? Possibly, I would say. Did the Taoiseach and me have a little chat recently? Yes we did. Factually correct,” he said.

Mr Flannery said Taoiseach Enda Kenny had told political correspondents before Christmas that if the pair happened to meet they would have a cup of coffee and a chat.

“So I, being the genial individual that I am, responded to that in a similar seasonal goodwill fashion. On foot of that, we’ve resumed our chatting to a certain extent, that we used to have.

“And so whether or not he wants to bring me back as a strategist or asked me to – if he does I’ll certainly give it serious consideration.”

Mr Flannery was asked on the radio about the request of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for him to appear before it in relation to the Rehab controversy. He said when he asked committee members to tell him know what topics they wanted to discuss with him and how those fell within their remit, they had not answered.

“Secondly they sought to compel me, and the Committee on Procedures and Privileges found that what they were trying to do with me was wholly and totally outside their remit.”

When it was put to Mr Flannery that Mr Kenny had said last spring he should attend, Mr Flannery replied: “But that was before he was apprised of the reality . . . he hasn’t said anything about it since.”

No Kenny comment

Mr Kenny declined to comment on Mr Flannery yesterday. He was in Paris to attend a rally in memory of those killed during last week’s attacks in the French capital.

“I did not come here to talk about anything like that today. There will be plenty of opportunity again,” Mr Kenny told reporters.

There are mixed views within Fine Gael about whether or not Mr Flannery’s return would be good for the party. One source said he “undoubtedly could be of benefit given his wisdom and expertise”. Another said Mr Flannery’s return would be an “unwelcome distraction”.