TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN insisted he will lead Fianna Fail into the next election.

He was also defiant that he “hadn’t seen anything off” in terms of a leadership challenge following a week that saw criticism from Fianna Fail backbenchers.

On Wednesday, three of the party’s youngest TDs issued a letter criticising the handling of recent fuel price protests, in which they said they viewed “events of the past few weeks with a real and deep concern”.

This was followed by other party members voicing their disquiet at the Government’s handling of fuel protests and blockades, although on Friday Cabinet ministers gave their backing to the Taoiseach.

Speaking to the media in Dublin today, the Taoiseach said he had a mandate and was elected as Fianna Fáil leader just a year and a half ago.

“I will fulfil my mandate and lead into the next set of elections,” he said.

He also insisted he had received a warm reception from his party over the events on Friday and Saturday.

“I was in Mullingar on Friday night, close to 400 grassroots members of the party in our centenary event, and there was a very very warm and positive reception from the grassroots of the party,” he said.

“Anybody who knows me, any members of the parliamentary party know that I’ve knocked on doors with them on streets, and I have to be very strongly assertive on this point, I’ve been elected in many elections, I’m very connected to people…

“I’m on the ground almost permanently, on a seven day a week basis, and I will continue to engage with my parliamentary party, we continue to seek new ways to broaden and structure engagement better.

“The sense across the party is very supportive and very warm.”

Pressed further, Martin said he was first elected in 1989 and has a “fair idea of tough times”.

“We have a war situation in the Middle East, which has created a lot of pressure on families and on people,” he said.

“I think our role and our objective is to seek ways to try and structurally alleviate the pressures on people because I think we have to accept the fact that there will be perhaps further shocks, we hope that the dialogue will continue in the Middle East and we get a resolution and an end to the war.”

The Irish flag

Liam Murphy / Alamy Live News Liam Murphy / Alamy Live News / Alamy Live News

Martin was speaking to reporters after a commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising at Arbour Hill.

In his speech at the commemoration, he criticised those who “dishonour” the Irish flag by “using it to divide or exclude”.

Martin said it was a tragedy that a “number of groups” disrespected the tricolour.

The Taoiseach told the commemoration, organised by Fianna Fáil, that the Proclamation read at the start of the Rising “promotes equality”.

“The men and women who led the Rising were deeply modern and outward looking – even in their cultural nationalism,” he said.

“They had experience of different parts of Europe and the world.

“They respected other cultures and they sought out ideas for the Ireland they hoped to bring about.”

Martin went on: “The Proclamation expresses an open sense of Irishness.

“It promotes equality. It seeks friendship between nations, and it rejects the idea that the end justifies the means.

“Though closely identified with the revival of Gaelic culture, the drafters of the Proclamation made it very clear that Irishness had to include different traditions.

“They used the tricolour as our national flag specifically because they rejected the idea of it belonging to one group in Irish society.

“For them, it was and should always be a profound symbol of inclusion.”

Martin claimed some groups treat the Irish flag as a “weapon”.

“It is a tragedy that over recent years a number of groups have sought to disrespect the tricolour by making it a symbol of division and exclusion.

“Groups, often from radically different ideologies, have regularly treated it as a weapon to assert their superiority or their claim to be more Irish or more republican than others.

“Everyone who truly believes in the message of the Proclamation and the ideals of the men and women of 1916 should reject this abuse of our shared national flag.

“Using our flag to promote aggressive and exclusionary views is wrong.

“If you don’t understand that the flag belongs to everyone, including people you disagree with, then you don’t understand the most basic things about what our flag stands for.

“You also dishonour the people who made it the uniting symbol of a rising Irish people.

“Never forget that the Proclamation directly demanded that all who serve the Republic would do so with honour.

“Sectarianism and division were seen as a threat to be confronted.”