THE LATE Fianna Fáil TD Brian Lenihan proposed radical organisational changes for Fianna Fáil in a document he was working on at the time of his death.
The document, which has been seen by The Irish Times, proposed the abolition of the party’s arcane system of sending three delegates to represent local branches at constituency level and when selecting party candidates for elections.
Instead it set out a new system that would allow for one member, one vote at selection conventions. He also included a device that would prevent election hopefuls signing up large numbers of new recruits to the party with the singular purpose of voting at a selection convention.
It also included the introduction of yearly subscription fees to the party – throughout its 83-year-history, members of the organisation have never been asked to pay membership fees.
Mr Lenihan began working on the document, entitled “Fianna Fáil Re-Organisation”, some weeks prior to his death on June 10th.
The four-page document was largely completed but he became too ill to make a number of additions and changes he wished to make. The document is laid out in the form of a constitution or rule-book with two sections, each broken down into numbered paragraphs.
The first is primarily focused on cumainn, while the second lays down the rules for the constituency executive.
The form in which it is written is legal in nature, and owes much to Mr Lenihan’s own professional training as a constitutional lawyer.
It refers specifically to his own constituency of Dublin West but those close to him have said he had intended to use Dublin West as a template for similar reorganisation in the other 42 constituencies.
Mr Lenihan’s plan envisaged a three-tiered organisation in Dublin West, comprising of cumainn (local branches); an comhairle dáilcheantair (constituency executive) and a new constituency youth committee.
The plan excluded a comhairle ceantair (district executive) which is a feature of all rural Fianna Fáil constituencies but not of those based in the capital.
The reorganisation included a formal “membership committee” in each comhairle dáilcheantair whose purposes would include “the recruitment of members”.
It also dispensed with any swearing-in requirement to accept the party’s “Coru” (values and aims).
“On acceptance, the new member shall be assigned to a cumann and shall be issued with a membership card, confirming acceptance of the Coru and rules.” The most far-reaching proposals are contained in the changes to the comhairle dáilcheantair.
Rather than each cumann sending three delegates to the executive, Mr Lenihan wanted the executive to be open to all members of the party in good standing.
His definition of good standing was designed to exclude “instantaneous” members, brought in by prospective party candidates for the sole purpose of voting for then at selection conventions.
Fears of such a phenomenon occurring has dominated the debate on the move to a “one-member, one-vote” voting system within the party.
Mr Lenihan said a member in good standing was required to be a registered member and have paid the annual subscription.
He also inserted a clause that was designed to ensure such members were committed to the organisation.
“To become a member in good standing, a person must be certified by the director of elections as having campaigned in a parliamentary or local authority election, or be certified to have checked the Registrar in 50 households, listed in the registrar of electors.”
A number of Fianna Fáil activists contacted by The Irish Timesthis weekend thought the two devices would be useful to prevent abuse of membership procedures by potential candidates.
“Checking the electoral registrar would be a good way for somebody who joined after the most recent election to show their bona fides,” said one activist, who preferred not to be named.
Mr Lenihan’s proposals also envisaged the appointment of a constituency organiser.