Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuív has resigned as deputy leader and party spokesman on communications, energy and natural resources in a row over the fiscal compact referendum.
In a statement released today party leader Micheál Martin said Mr Ó Cuív’s refusal to support the parliamentary party's position on the fiscal compact meant it was “no longer feasible for him to occupy these roles”.
Mr Martin said he hoped Mr Ó Cuív would continue to work for the “party’s renewal” ahead of the Fianna Fáil ardfheis this weekend.
This evening Mr Martin said Mr Ó Cuív faces the prospect of being expelled from the parliamentary party if he votes against it in the Dáil on the fiscal compact issue.
"Eamon is not in that position as of yet but he has indicated to strongly to me that that is his intention," Mr Martin told RTÉ's Drivetime programme.
Also speaking this evening, Mr Ó Cuív said he accepted his views on Europe were "not compatible" with those held by Mr Martin and the majority in the Fianna Fáil party.
"But, to me, this whole issue is about the fundamental future of Ireland, and I believe it's much bigger than any one individual or any one group of people, and therefore it would be incompatible for me to stay as deputy leader and not have my heart and soul in what I would consider to be an absolutely fundamental decision that we have to make."
Mr O'Cuív said he wanted the Government to go to Europe and not come back with any referendum until regulation of the financial sector from Brussels had been sorted out, there were "absolute guarantees" relating to corporation taxes and European countries whose banks lent recklessly took their share of the burden.
Questioned on The Last Word with Matt Cooper why he couldn't get Mr Martin to agree with his position, Mr Ó Cuív said: "Micheál's his man . . . and I'm my man, and it became irreconcilable, and that's where were are," adding: "I believe now is the time for Ireland to make a stand."
Mr Ó Cuív said he always believed Fianna Fáil was a vehicle for promoting the interests of Ireland but that Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to be running Europe and that it was time for small countries to stand up for themselves.
The former deputy leader said he remained a member of the parliamentary party and his local cumann and intended to be at this weekend's Fianna Fáil ardfheis. He had given his "heart and soul" to the party as deputy leader, he said. "You have to say: Is it country or party? In that choice, there can be no choice - the country has to come first."
Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil would be supporting the referendum last night. However, speaking on RTÉ’s Raidió na Gaeltachta today Mr Ó Cuív said he had yet to decide his stance on the referendum.
He said: “If the Fianna Fáil party has made a final decision to support the referendum unconditionally, each member of the party must seriously consider whether that is the correct decision”.
He added that there were serious issues at play and that nobody should rush into a decision.