Hanafin unwilling to reveal vote on leadership

PARTY MEETING:MINISTER FOR Tourism Mary Hanafin did not disclose how she voted in the motion of confidence in Taoiseach Brian Cowen at last night's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting.

There were 17 speakers, eight of whom spoke in favour of the motion and eight of whom spoke against, while Ms Hanafin kept her counsel.

Ms Hanafin surprised deputies by not disclosing her voting intentions ahead of the secret ballot. She told the meeting that she was “going to vote in accordance with the conversation she had with the Taoiseach last week”, according to one TD. She did not disclose what she said in that conversation although it is widely believed she told him he should stand down.

Mr Cowen opened the meeting at about 5.45pm by rebutting criticism, voiced previously by Mr Martin and others, about the preparedness of the Fianna Fáil organisation for this year’s general election. Speaking for 20 minutes, he also touched on the issue of low morale within the party.

One deputy at the meeting – which was held in private for party TDs and Senators, who could attend as observers – said the Taoiseach gave a “passionate display” but another said his speech contained “nothing new”.

Mr Martin spoke after Mr Cowen. A number of those present indicated the former minister for foreign affairs said Fianna Fáil faced huge losses, and that the party had lost credibility with voters and needed to change radically.

His 10-minute speech was described as “very good” by one supporter. Another said: “He summed up so well what was wrong and what needs to be done.” However, a TD loyal to Mr Cowen said Mr Martin merely reiterated what he had been saying publicly in the last few days.

It was also claimed by a number of those present that Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív, who spoke in favour of Mr Cowen, said he feared for the party as the election approached.

In addition, Mr Cowen was described as “ring-rusty” by outspoken Kildare South TD Seán Power. Mr Power said he did not believe the Taoiseach “could do in eight weeks what he couldn’t do in 2½ years”.

There were divided views about the contribution of Minister of State for Trade and Commerce Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central), who supported Mr Martin. Mr Kelleher said “nothing new”, according to one TD, while another praised his “very honest contribution”.

Cork East TD Ned O’Keeffe said Mr Cowen and some of his Ministers were “not in the real world” and the party was “headed for disaster”, a source said. He also complained about the National Asset Management Agency and the arrival of the IMF.

While Mr Cowen was speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Dublin South West TD Charlie O'Connor slipped out to the plinth outside Leinster House to speak live to RTÉ's Six One News. "It is a packed meeting . . . very businesslike, and it's a good evening I believe.

He revealed Mr Cowen spoke “quite a bit” about the party’s preparations for the general election, “which I think is a concern which Dáil deputies in Fianna Fáil do have”.

Although one senior TD expressed fear that the situation had turned “bitter” in the afternoon, following Mr McGuinness’s contradiction of Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan on the airwaves at lunchtime, many reported the meeting proceeded in a “very cordial” manner. A number of TDs present said Mr Lenihan’s claim on radio that he “hadn’t had time to organise a coup or a challenge in the last year” was not raised at the gathering.

At 6.54pm, the Dáil bells began to toll, calling TDs into the chamber for a vote on the Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2009, which was carried by the Government side. The FF deputies then hurried back to the meeting.

Those who spoke in support of Mr Cowen included: Waterford deputy Brendan Kenneally; Dublin South Central TD Michael Mulcahy; Ministers of State Martin Mansergh and Dick Roche, Galway East TD Noel Treacy and Cavan-Monaghan TD Dr Rory O’Hanlon.

Cork North West TD Michael Moynihan told the meeting he would not be supporting the motion. Dublin North’s Michael Kennedy, John McGuinness (Carlow Kilkenny) and Noel O’Flynn (Cork North Central) were also critical of Mr Cowen’s leadership.

At about 8.30pm Mr Cowen addressed the gathering again, with what even his detractors conceded was “a strong closing speech”, ahead of the vote. A roll call of electors was read out by Chief Whip John Curran and ballot papers were issued to TDs by parliamentary party chairman John Browne.

Senators attended but were not allowed contribute to the debate and were not entitled to vote. Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, who is recuperating from an operation, submitted a postal vote.

Dr Rory O’Hanlon and Mr Moynihan had been selected as tellers at the beginning of the meeting, which began with Mr Cowen proposing the motion of confidence in his own leadership, seconded by Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan.

The wording of the motion was: “That the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party has confidence in Brian Cowen TD as leader of Fianna Fáil.”

After the contributions concluded, deputies voted in a separate room by secret ballot. The tellers checked and counted the ballots, before revealing the result to Mr Curran and Mr Browne, who announced it to the room shortly after 9pm.