Fianna Fail backbenchers are pressing for Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn to resign or be expelled from the parliamentary party in the wake of the award of all costs against her in her failed libel action.
While many of her colleagues were reluctant to call openly on her to quit yesterday, most contacted by The Irish Times said they believed she should or would go. None suggested her position as a party deputy was tenable.
Mr Noel O'Flynn TD (Cork North Central) called on her to resign from the parliamentary party regardless of an appeal and said she should not be al lowed to stand for the party in the next general election. Three others publicly indicated they believed her political career with Fianna Fail was over, while several more privately expressed this view.
Until the Mayo TD decides on an appeal, the Taoiseach's position is that she must be al lowed to exhaust the legal process. However, Dublin South West TD Mr Conor Lenihan said if the finding that she encouraged or advised people not to pay taxes was not reversed, it raised issues which "have to be dealt with by the party leader".
Dublin North West TD Mr Pat Carey said he believed she would resign from the parliamentary party before any action was taken by Fianna Fail. "I think she will probably see the writing on the wall and move aside altogether." Mr Mi chael Ahern of Cork East implied he believed her career in Fianna Fail was over and that she was in "a no-win situation".