LAST UPDATE | 17 Dec 2025

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN says he takes “full responsibility” for his party’s disastrous presidential election campaign. 

Speaking to RTÉ’s David’s McCullagh this morning, Martin acknowledged that Jim Gavin’s shock exit from the election was a “major setback” for the party. 

“I take full responsibility. I’m sorry this happened,” he said, adding that “wrong calls were made”. 

Outlining when an issue was first flagged about a tenancy dispute, Martin said his Chief of Staff, Deirdre Gillane, was asked by Fionnán Sheahan of the Irish Independent newspaper on 5 September: “Did you do your due diligence? Do you know what and about a tenant dispute?”

“She said: ‘No’,” Martin outlined, stating that Sheahan told Gillane he was going off to “stack it up now”.

“She told Sean Dorgan (Fianna Fáil’s general secretary), and I was told, and basically Sean Dorgan went to Jim Gavin. Jim said, ‘no, there’s no issue with any tenant. I never had an issue’.”

This clarifies that the Taoiseach was also made aware of some issue with a tenant, however he was at pains to say that the details of the dispute about overpaid rent was not mentioned. 

The Fianna Fáil leader also admitted it was a mistake not to launch Jim Gavin’s campaign in August. The report cited that as it was the media’s ‘silly season’ during the summer months, it was decided not to launch the campaign any earlier. 

Martin also defended not carrying out any polling into Gavin ahead of selecting him as a candidate. 

“It’s not extraordinary,” he said.

“I actually did a lot of informal sounding of people who’d worked with him, who’d been on groups with the feedback, almost very little negative feedback about Jim Gavin. It was all very positive about his capabilities, competence, and a person who got things done,” added Martin. 

The party had organised a review into the matter after its candidate Jim Gavin dropped out of the race. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Martin said Gavin was asked outright about the mutterings, with the Taoiseach stating that Gavin said he “never had an issue with a tenant”.

The Fianna Fáil party leader said they had to take him at his bonfides. 

“There was no public record or court record, or any record publicly available for anyone to confirm the existence of the dispute whatsoever. And the only way anyone could be aware of this, let’s be straight, was through one of the primary sources,” he added. 

Martin was also questioned on Newstalk by Pat Kenny about whether it was true that the Fianna Fáil leader only had one meeting with Gavin ahead of his selection. 

Martin said he met with Gavin for a number of hours prior to his nomination for the presidency.

When asked about his future leadership, Martin said he did not need to put down a motion of confidence in himself. He said he understood people are very annoyed and angry at what happened. 

“Ultimately, the buck stops with me,” he said, stating that he takes full responsibility for the debacle. 

Martin concluded his interview on Newstalk by expressing his commitment to leading the party and addressing the concerns of the Irish people.

Fianna Fáil reaction

Members of the Fianna Fáil party are contemplating the fate of its leader today after a meeting of the parliamentary party examining a review of its presidential election campaign went late into last night.

The party had organised a review into the matter after its candidate Jim Gavin dropped out of the race after details regarding money owed to a former tenant came to light.

The review, which runs to some 25 pages, dissects the timeline of events and how Gavin came to be chosen to represent Fianna Fáil, as well as due diligence and how the party handled concerns surrounding a former tenant of Gavin’s.

It found that senior members of Fianna Fáil were aware of the allegations before his ratification as its candidate and Gavin was asked a number of times about the matter.

Gavin was ultimately told by leader Micheál Martin and deputy leader Jack Chambers they could no longer support his candidacy.

It also sets out other failings in relation to the campaign, such as not contacting other individuals interested in running to inform them that Martin was leaning elsewhere – particularly in relation to Bertie Ahern – and the estimated costs of the failed campaign. 

The review has been long awaited and there has been pressure placed on Martin from inside and outside the party to release it.

A number of so called “rebels” within the party had gone on the record to urge the Taoiseach to expedite the review and said further delays would put question marks around his leadership.

It was ultimately released yesterday evening. MEP Barry Andrews told Prime Time there was some “upset” as party members received the review just an hour before the 7pm parliamentary meeting.

He said in his view the report contained substantial recommendations he hoped the party would adopt. 

Minister for Children Norma Foley stressed that the party did not have a framework in place to carry out due diligence and this is something it would work to implement.

Speaking this morning at the launch of the Action Plan on Childcare, Foley said there is “absolute acceptance that this was not the outcome that the Fianna Fáil membership wanted” and said it was a difficult, challenging, and trying time for party members.

“The Taoiseach has put his hand up. He has said he accepts full responsibility for it,” she said.

She said she “absolutely” has confidence in Martin as leader of the party and highlighted the party’s successes in recent elections.

Appearing last night on Virgin Media’s Tonight Show, hosted by journalist Fionnán Sheehan who was central to the tenant issue and included in the report, Fianna Fáil Minister of State Niall Collins said it was a “very very low point for Micheál Martin” but that it “won’t define him”.

He said Martin is an accomplished and experienced politician. 

“Most importantly, the public trust him,” Collins said. 

The TD added that the matter was an internal Fianna Fáil issue and said the wider public have no interest in it.