FIANNA FÁIL NEEDS to convene an urgent parliamentary party meeting to discuss the forthcoming presidential election, according to MEP Billy Kelleher. 

While Fine Gael is now set to hold a contest to determine who will get the presidential nomination nod, Fianna Fáil has been staying schtum on who it might put forward as its candidate. 

There have been plenty of names in the mix the last number of months, but party leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has merely said that his party will make a “contribution” to the presidential election, stating he will make the party’s intentions known in September. 

During the summer, he told The Journal that the office is above party politics, and “should be filled by a person who will carry it off with distinction, represent the country well abroad and lead with some sort of moral authority”.

However, Kelleher has pointed out that it will be mid-September before Fianna Fáil TDs, Senators and MEPs gather to meet in person for their party think-in in Cork. 

“To my mind, this is too late in the day for the people who will ultimately be tasked with selecting a party candidate to meet to discuss the issue,” he said. 

The Ireland South MEP said he has contacted the Cathaoirleach of the parliamentary party, Brendan Smith TD, asking him to convene a meeting to discuss this most critical of issues.

“In my opinion, Fianna Fáil, the largest party in the Dáil, the Seanad and in local government, should be actively involved in either running its own candidate or facilitating a candidate that represents our values and beliefs as a political movement,” concluded Kelleher.

However, Clare TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Timmy Dooley said today that he was somewhat surprised at Kelleher’s intervention, stating that Martin has made himself clear that the party strategy would be revealed at the end of the summer holiday period. 

Dooley said that he is prepared to give the Taoiseach “the time and space” needed before Martin comes before the parliamentary party to “set out the stall” of Fianna Fáil. 

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Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews said the Taoiseach set out the party’s plan “at the end of the summer, which means next week at the very latest”.

“I think that will include a proposal to have an early meeting the parliamentary party,” he added, stating that as of now, the next scheduled meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party is the 15 September, at the party’s think-in in Cork.

“I think by then, I think most of most of us, expect a lot of this to be settled by then,” said Andrews, who added that an early opportunity to have a parliamentary party meeting will allow members to share campaign ideas and consider strategy for the presidential election.

Andrews said the presidential election now offers a “different prospect” for his party than had Mairead McGuinness decided to go ahead and run. The MEP had previously ruled out running for himself, stating today that he will not be reconsidering that decision.