Mr Frank O'Flynn, the former director of elections in Cork East who masterminded the resurgence of Mr Ned O'Keeffe and Fianna Fail in the constituency during the 1982 election, said yesterday the former junior minister's downfall was of his own making and could have been avoided.
Mr O'Flynn, who will stand for Fianna Fail in Cork East at the next general election, said he was unhappy about the way Mr O'Keeffe had appeared to blame the Taoiseach for the debacle that led to his resignation at the weekend.
"I would say his downfall was of his own making and could have been avoided. Fianna Fail could have done without this on the run-in to a general election. I fully support the Taoiseach and I feel he has been blamed unfairly.
"I didn't like the tone of Ned O'Keeffe's comments, and neither did members of the general public with whom I spoke. Loyalty to the Taoiseach is a byword in Fianna Fail," Mr O'Flynn said. Officially, there was sympathy for Mr O'Keeffe and his family from political figures, both within and outside the constituency, but there was also a sense of barely concealed relief that the matter had ended.
"Neither myself nor anyone else got together to do down Ned O'Keeffe," said the other Fianna Fail TD in the constituency, Mr Michael Ahern. "His troubles are related to his business and his ministry. It appears to me that's where the problem lies. The Public Offices Commission will, in due course, decide about that.
"The resignation is bad for the constituency and certainly not helpful. The two of us have been working together for the past 19 years in Cork East, and a hiccup like this is not what anyone would want. We will have to redouble our efforts to hold on to our two seats."
Mr Batt O'Keeffe, a Fianna Fail colleague for many years, said he felt no joy at Mr O'Keeffe's resignation. "Nobody would wish to see him go like that. I was supportive all along, but I thought it was a matter for the Taoiseach and Ned O'Keeffe.
"I was not privy to what went on between them. When someone is down I take the view that nothing should be done to make things even harder or add to their difficulties. That was my attitude with Liam Lawlor and I did the same with Ned O'Keeffe."
Mr David Stanton, one of the two Fine Gael TDs in Cork East, said that as time wore on it was clear Mr O'Keeffe's position had become untenable.
"I think he had no choice, it was either resign or be sacked, but the matter was let drag on far too long, and in the interests of Ireland's international reputation as a supplier of food it should have been dealt with before now. Maybe the Taoiseach has a lot to answer for in that it went on so long. On a personal level, I feel sorry for him and I think it's a loss for the constituency," he added.
Mr Paul Bradford, the other Fine Gael TD in Cork East, said he also felt sorry for Mr O'Keeffe, but it was a pity the matter had not been dealt with before Christmas. "In the end, there was a certain inevitability about his resignation. I think the Taoiseach handled it badly," he said.
Two other Fianna Fail colleagues, Mr Michael Moynihan (Cork North West) and Mr Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central), also expressed regret at the manner in which Mr O'Keeffe had lost his position. Mr Kelleher said that, having known Mr O'Keeffe and his family for many years, he sympathised with them on a personal level.
Mr Moynihan said Mr O'Keeffe and his family should now be allowed time to themselves.
Cllr Joe Sherlock (Labour) said it was disingenuous of Mr O'Keeffe to say that having been forced to resign as minister in charge of food, he had done nothing wrong.
"Meat-and-bonemeal feed, which has been identified as the source of BSE in cattle, was being fed to pigs on his family farm. Should he not, if he was concerned about the beef industry, have ensured that its use was discontinued?" Mr Sherlock said.