Tensions between the Fianna Fáil organisation in Donegal North East and party headquarters deepened yesterday in the row over the strategy to be adopted in the next general election following the merger of Fianna Fáil and Deputy Niall Blaney's Independent Fianna Fáil organisation (IFF).
The Donegal North East Dáil Ceantair has written to headquarters saying unless the party agrees that the three sitting TD's - Dr Jim McDaid, Cecelia Keaveney and Niall Blaney - are selected to contest the next election, there will be a boycott of a meeting this week to finalise the merger of Fianna Fáil and IFF.
Last April Dr McDaid announced he was to retire from politics, saying the challenge had gone out of his career. In July it was announced that Deputy Blaney's IFF organisation was to merge with Fianna Fáil after a 35-year-old rift going back to the arms trial. This left Fianna Fáil holding all three seats in Donegal North East.
Party headquarters last week wrote to each member of Fianna Fáil and IFF in Donegal North East, convening meetings for this Thursday and next Monday, December 4th, "to give affect" to the decision to integrate IFF into Fianna Fáil.
The letter from the party's national organiser, Seán Sherwin, said Deputy Blaney's membership of Fianna Fáil was affirmed at recent meetings of the ardfheis, the ardchomhairle and the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary party and "we are now progressing to the final stage of the integration process."
Dr McDaid has claimed that the move to merge the IFF and Fianna Fáil's cumanns in advance of a selection convention was an attempt to "load cumann with Blaney supporters" to ensure he was not selected to contest the next general election. Dr McDaid said it was his view the party wanted to run just two candidates and would opt for Deputy Blaney and Keaveney.
Meanwhile, Deputy Blaney told The Irish Times last week that he would not have entertained going back to Fianna Fáil if Deputy McDaid was running. He added: "It was always my understanding that Jim would not be running. At the end of the day, I never came out to have a showdown with Jim McDaid. I don't want to cause ructions or to open old sores."
Chairman of the Dáil Ceantair, Hugh McDaid, a brother of Deputy McDaid, said Deputy Blaney attended Dáil Ceantair meeting on Sunday night with two IFF Cllrs. He said the meeting lasted only 20 minutes and Deputy Blaney did not address it. "We have faxed headquarters and they know our position," he told The Irish Times last night.
A Fianna Fáil spokesman confirmed last night that a letter had been received from the Dáil Ceantair and was being considered. He said the planned meetings to complete the integration process would go ahead as planned on Thursday and next Monday.