Internal party review into its disastrous presidential campaign largely puts the blame at the feet of its candidate, Jim Gavin
Micheál Martin’s leadership of Fianna Fáil has emerged wounded but intact after an internal party review into Jim Gavin’s disastrous presidential campaign largely put the blame at the candidate’s feet.

The review into the presidential election campaign was delivered to Fianna Fáil members on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of the parliamentary party.

Earlier on Tuesday, Micheál Martin said “no, not at all” when asked if he believed his leadership was endangered by the affair. Nonetheless, attendees at the parliamentary party meeting described the atmosphere as “tense”, “uneasy”, and “despondent on all fronts”. 

In his speech to the parliamentary party on Tuesday, Mr Martin was described as being “defensive and ratty”.

Mr Gavin withdrew from the election in October after failing to inform the party about a previous dispute with a tenant to whom he failed to return rent overpayments worth €3,300 in 2008. The review says that Mr Gavin was asked on five occasions about the issue, but never gave full accounts.

Due diligence

The report says that as part of ongoing due diligence, Mr Gavin was asked on September 5 and September 8 about a reference to a dispute with a tenant. The reference was in a telephone call from a journalist to Micheál Martin’s top adviser, Deirdre Gillane, on September 5, and an email on September 8 received by Fianna Fáil’s press office.

Due diligence was undertaken by the party’s secretary general, Sean Dorgan; assistant secretary general Darragh McShea; and Peter MacDonagh, a long-term adviser to Mr Martin, alongside “other communication specialists”.

It consisted of research, the examination of public documents, media articles, and several meetings with Mr Gavin.

The review says a “variety of questions on Mr Gavin’s position as a landlord and a variety of matters that might arise as a result thereof were raised”.

Mr Gavin ‘did not recall’ potential issues 

The party then decided “any disgruntled tenant would almost certainly raise their grievance publicly” and Mr Gavin “did not recall any potential issues when the topic was addressed”.

On October 2, another query was submitted to Fianna Fáil about the issue of the €3,300, and the query was put to Mr Gavin on October 3, when he still had no “recollection”.

On October 4, the tenant, Sunday World journalist Niall Donald, rang Elaine O’Meara, Mr Gavin’s press officer.

“Mr Gavin explained his recollection as being that there had been no issue with any tenant,” the report states. 

This remained Mr Gavin’s position until the tenant identified himself to Elaine O’Meara in a phonecall in Mr Gavin’s presence on the afternoon of Saturday, October 4. 

“Mr Gavin then made a further examination of his records.”

Another conversation happened that evening between Fianna Fáil HQ and Mr Gavin.

He later retrieved “relevant records” which indicated that he “received at least some of the payments in question”.

The following afternoon, Mr Martin told Mr Gavin that he could not recommend the parliamentary party support him after revelations he owed a former tenant €3,300.

‘Ten very difficult days’

Mr Martin and deputy leader Jack Chambers told Mr Gavin that he would have “10 very difficult days” should he stay in the campaign. Later that evening, Mr Gavin returned to party HQ and announced his intention to withdraw from the campaign. He was helped to draft a statement.

The report goes on to say that the aborted campaign cost the party €150,000 to date, but could more than double, and that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern did not receive a response from the party despite putting his name forward.

At a parliamentary party meeting to discuss the report, TDs and senators received a “lengthy presentation” from report group chair Ciaran O’Loughlin SC, who then fielded questions from party members.

Cork MEP Billy Kelleher, who contested the selection convention against Mr Gavin, told the meeting that the former GAA manager had been hidden during the campaign.

This was echoed by other TDs, who said Mr Gavin had been “shielded” from the media.