Minster for Housing Simon Coveney has said he expects the leadership of Fine Gael to be discussed in the “not too distant future” but that now is not the time.

Mr Coveney, seen as a leading contenders to replace Taoiseach Enda Kenny as party leader, denied the first shots were fired in the Fine Gael leadership race at a parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday night but said “pragmatic comments” were raised.

It was the first time in years that Mr Kenny’s leadership has been openly questioned by his own TDs and came before the publication of an Irish Times/Ipsos MRSI poll showing a two point fall in Fine Gael support to 24 per cent. It is well behind Fianna Fáil which saw its support hit an eight-year high of 33 per cent (up nine points).

The poll came in a week which saw three Independent Ministers in Mr Kenny’s minority Government say they would not vote with Fine Gael on the fatal foetal abnormalities legislation put forward by Independents4Change TD Mick Wallace. Unionist politicians also rejected his idea for an all-Ireland forum to work on ways to mitigate the negative effects of the British decision to leave the EU.

‘Deserves time’

Speaking at a housing forum in Dublin on Thursday, Mr Coveney said he and the Government were focussed on serious issues such as solving the housing crisis.

“There will be a time in the not too distant future, I expect, when leadership is going to have to be discussed in Fine Gael but I don’t see why we have to have a long, drawn out process that distracts a Government away from the core issues it needs to deliver on,” he said.

“The Taoiseach is a very experienced politician. He will have thought through what he needs to do over the next few years in the interests of Fine Gael but more importantly in the interests of running a good government. He deserves the time and the space to do that.”

Mr Coveney declined to call on those talking about the leadership to stop.

“We need to think about an election in a few years time and there are all sorts of issues internally in the party that need to be discussed and debated and resolved in that context.”

Mr Coveney said there had been “a blunt, honest conversation which a big party like Fine Gael will have now and again”.

“There is an acceptance that this week hasn’t been a great week for the Government and people were talking about that in the context of the challenges we face.”

The Cork South Central TD also said he was unaware Dr James Reilly was to be appointed deputy leader of Fine Gael. “I didn’t know it was coming,” he said.

No vacancy

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar, another contender to succeed Mr Kenny, said he would like to lead Fine Gael but there was no vacancy yet.

Speaking to KFM radio in Kildare, Mr Varadkar said Mr Kenny should be given time and space to make his own decisions.

“What the Taoiseach has said is that he intends to serve a full term as Taoiseach but won’t lead us into the next election. Obviously that means he is the leader. I support him.

“Enda will make his decision in his own time and I don’t think he should be put under pressure from us to do so.”

The Dublin West TD said he would have to consider running for a leadership if a vacancy arises but said he will do nothing to bring that vacancy about.

“I haven’t made any preparations and there isn’t a vacancy so I’d prefer not to speculate in that space...I’d have to consider that at the time if a vacancy arises. I have thought about it and it is something I would like to do in the future, of course I would love to lead my party. “

Mishaps

Mr Varadkar said he did not think Mr Kenny could be held personally responsible for a number of Government mishaps this week.

“The poll today is a bad one, there is no point in pretending otherwise. It puts Fianna Fáil nine points ahead of Fine Gael but here was another poll last Sunday that put us six points ahead of Fine Gael,” he said, adding that “you don’t panic over one opinion poll”.

Earlier, Fine Gael backbench TD Jim Daly told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that "changing the leadership isn't always the panacea that people think it is. The Labour party is an example of this.

“Enda Kenny has made it clear to the parliamentary party and to the public that he won’t lead us into the next election, that he is walking off the stage, I’m happy to let the man have his time for the moment to do that.

“I think past the budget, Fianna Fáil have signed up to three budgets, it would be important that we have a new leader in time and well ahead of the next election.”