LAST UPDATE | 10 Dec 2025

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has told a Fianna Fáil meeting tonight that a review into the party’s disastrous presidential election campaign will be published next week.

Martin had said yesterday that the report would be published “before Christmas”. 

In a progress update to the parliamentary party tonight, Martin gave an updated timeline for the campaign review and added that it will be discussed at a special party meeting.

The Fianna Fáil Ard Comhairle held its first meeting since the election last night.

And while there was no real discussion about the contents of the review at last night’s meeting, which was held over Zoom due to the bad weather, it is understood that the party executive was told that Jim Gavin agreed to be the Fianna Fáil candidate on 1 August. 

Interestingly, it was towards the end of August that party members were none the wiser about who the party candidate would be, with MEP Billy Kelleher calling for an emergency parliamentary party meeting on the issue close to the end of August. 

There had been plenty of names in the mix throughout the summer months, but the party leader stayed schtum on the issue, merely stating at the time that his party would make a “contribution” to the presidential election and that he would make the party’s intentions known in September. 

Gavin was officially selected by the parliamentary party on 9 September, with TDs, senators and MEPs voting for Gavin by 41 votes to Billy Kelleher’s 29 votes.

Last night’s meeting of the Ard Comhairle was understood to be “constructive” but that party members voiced their disappointment at what had happened with the presidential campaign. 

No details about the review were revealed, but the Taoiseach is understood to have been upfront about the failings, striking similar tone that he did during his first meeting with the parliamentary party after the election.

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Martin is believed to have said he understood peoples’ hurt and accepted responsibility for the election failures as party leader. 

There has been significant discontent within the party over the delay in the publication of the review and some are skeptical if the report will be released before Christmas, as promised by Martin.

The Taoiseach is due to travel to Brussels for an EU leaders meeting late next Wednesday, the day in which the parliamentary party meeting usually takes place.

The meeting could be held earlier in the day or rescheduled for Tuesday 16 December.

The Dáil rises on Thursday 18 December for its Christmas break.