Fianna Fáil councillor Liam Kelly has resigned from the Fianna Fáil group on Dublin City Council, in the wake of a controversy over photographs which seemed to suggest he had been taking drugs, writes Liam Reid, Political Reporter
Solicitors for Mr Kelly contacted Fianna Fáil headquarters yesterday and informed party officials of Mr Kelly's decision.
His future with the party is expected to be reviewed again at a later unspecified date. This will be dependent on the outcome of a Garda inquiry into a complaint by him that he was the subject of a blackmail attempt by people who photographed him hunched over some white powder while holding a rolled piece of paper.
The photograph appeared in the Sunday World last month and Mr Kelly has been the subject of intense media coverage since then. He had originally claimed the photograph was "staged" and he also told gardaí he had been rolling a cigarette.
The affair has prompted an internal inquiry by the party. That inquiry will continue but it is not expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
The party is required to give Mr Kelly the opportunity to address the inquiry, and he is not expected to be in a position to do so in the near future.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Fianna Fáil confirmed Mr Kelly's resignation. "We have been informed by solicitors acting on behalf of Cllr Liam Kelly that Cllr Kelly has resigned his membership of the Fianna Fáil group on Dublin City Council with immediate effect." The party declined to comment further.
Cllr Kelly's refusal to address the issue, and to provide details to the party of his actions in the photograph, had been the subject of increasing frustration to the party.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern made two public interventions in the last four weeks, speaking of the party's abhorrence of illegal drugs, and he initially described Mr Kelly's situation as "serious".
Last Friday, he again addressed the issue. "If one of our elected representatives snorted cocaine, that is a serious matter and it will be dealt with as a serious matter and there will be no fudging or hiding from that . . ." The issue had also created tension between the party leadership and its councillors on Dublin City Council.
Party headquarters had originally expected the Fianna Fáil group on the council to address the issue but this was resisted by members who suggested it was a disciplinary matter for the party as a whole.