The Donegal North East TD, Mr Harry Blaney, has accused the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, of doing "a complete U-turn" on promises he made to his late brother, Neil, in return for supporting him in a vote to elect him Taoiseach. Mr Blaney, who was elected as an Independent Fianna Fail TD in June, ail in June for Independent Fianna Fail, said yesterday that his brother when he was a deputy had secured pledges from Mr Haughey on a number of issues in the wake of the 1987 general election.
Mr Haughey needed the support of Independent deputies and arranged that a delegation from Co Donegal - supporting Neil Blaney - should discuss a range of issues with him at a hotel in Sutton, Co Dublin.
According to Mr Harry Blaney, his brother had already had discussions with Mr Haughey and he introduced the delegation to the Fianna Fail leader at the hotel and went away, leaving the six-member group to deal with a number of issues with which they disagreed.
The group, he says, sought clarification from Mr Haughey on extradition, the Single European Act, the Anglo-Irish Agreement and on Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act.
Mr Blaney claimed that Mr Haughey told the group he had discussed these questions with Mr Neil Blaney and said that "we are at one on those four issues". Mr Haughey conveyed the idea that there was "no need for further discussions" since both men were in accord.
"But when he got into power, he did a complete U-turn on all four of them," Mr Blaney added.
The group proceeded to discuss the prospect of the amalgamation of Independent Fianna Fail with Fianna Fail, an aim the party had been pursuing since 1985. Mr Blaney said they had written to Mr Haughey suggesting a union between the parties on October 23rd, 1985, but did not get a reply "for one year to the day".
In that letter, he said Mr Haughey indicated that no amalgamation could be contemplated in the present or in the future. However, on the night of their meeting prior to the Dail vote in 1987, "he said it could take place within the next year or two".
"When we were leaving that point (of discussion), he said, as and from now, the amalgamation is on".
However, the Donegal group "knew he was stalling" and suggested that Mr Neil Blaney become a member of government in the event of a union between the two sides.
"He said that he could not sell that to his party. It was only two years later that he could sell the PDs to the party . . . It was strange he could not sell a member who had been working might and main to build the party," he added.
Following the meeting in Sutton, Mr Haughey sent for Mr Neil Blaney and asked if the situation had altered in relation to his voting intentions. Mr Blaney said it had not and Mr Haughey shook his hand and said, "I'll see you on the hustings", meaning that another general election was inevitable.
In the face of another election, Mr Blaney decided to support Mr Haughey as Taoiseach. According to Harry Blaney, he did not want to impose further expense and upheaval on the State.
"I said, `If we vote for Charlie Haughey today, he can do what he likes with us after that' . . . He was the obstacle to the unity of the two parties. He was the only obstacle," he added.
According Mr Blaney, unity between his party and Fianna Fail today is not feasible. It may come in time, but he cannot predict when it might happen.
Discussions on the issue had taken place prior to the Donegal by-election caused by the death of his brother but, according to Mr Blaney, Fianna Fail wanted him to step aside and leave the seat to it.