THE MINISTER FOR TOURISM has downplayed any suggestion that there is a desire within Fianna Fáil to oust Brian Cowen as leader.

Mary Hanafin was speaking in the aftermath of last night’s meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, at which former junior minister Seán Power said there were many questions to be dealt with by the party, but that the leadership issue was the major one.

“There was not a group of people lined up” behind Power to complain about the leadership, Hanafin said, according to the Irish Times.

People who might have been outspoken in the past did not speak out against the Taoiseach. In fact, they did the exact opposite.

They said this is the time to stick together, this is the time to give leadership and this is the time to enable people to work on the budget and not be distracted by it.

Social protection minister Éamon Ó Cuív has also spoken out on Power’s complaints, dismissing them as “personality politics” and appealing for the party to unite on the bigger problems ahead of the state.

On this morning’s Morning Ireland, Power insisted he was not the only Fianna Fáil TD unhappy with the party leadership, and said Cowen was brushing off well-intended feedback on his performance.

“People have advised him on numerous occasions that he should explain clearly to the public the seriousness of the situation that we’re in and to explain why he’s doing what he’s doing, why he’s making particular decisions he’s making… But he’s decided not to do that.”

Cowen is understood to have been given a round of applause after dismissing Power’s protests at last night’s meeting, saying the party had already dismissed similar complaints from another junior minister, John McGuinness.