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LAST UPDATE | 15 Dec 2025
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has hit out at media coverage of the long-awaited Fianna Fáil review of its disastrous presidential election campaign, calling some reporting “disappointing, selective and inaccurate”.
The report is still being “finalised”, a statement from Fianna Fáil said this evening.
“The party wants to be absolutely clear that the party leader has not yet received the report,” the statement said, adding that Martin has been “keen to allow the review committee to do its work independently”.
”The commentary of the past week has been extremely disappointing, selective and inaccurate.
“The leader takes exception, in particular, to some of what has been written over the weekend which has been based on false assertions.”
The statement did not refer to any news outlets or publications by name.
The party’s leaders have been under pressure to release the report on how Fianna Fáil came to select former GAA manager Jim Gavin, who dropped out of the race too late in the day to be replaced on the ballot.
Today, three veteran Fianna Fáil TDs said the review should be published “immediately”.
TDs Willie O’Dea, former Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, and Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher signed a statement insisting that the party and Martin move swiftly and publish the long-awaited review, stating that the constant leaks and coverage of the report is damaging.
Aside from calls for the report to be published sooner rather than later, the three long-standing politicians have said that TDs and senators should also be given adequate time to read the report in full, prior to the special parliamentary party meeting that is due to be held this week to discuss the matter.
The three TDs have called for a “frank and informed discussion” at that meeting. However, members of the parliamentary party have yet to be told when this meeting will be held.
The usual meeting is held on Wednesday evenings. However, Martin is set to travel to Brussels for an important European Council meeting on Ukraine that night.
The three TDs have said the ongoing controversy must not be allowed to overshadow the historic milestone that is Fianna Fáil’s centenary.
O’Dea told The Journal that it is the last week of the Dáil and the report must be published prior to the Christmas break so that it is not left hanging over the holiday break.
It is understood that Jim Gavin’s solicitors have not flagged any difficulty with publishing the report in its current format. As such, the three TDs argue there should be no issue with Fianna Fáil putting the report out into the public domain.
With reporting from David Mac Redmond
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