Independent Donegal North East TD Niall Blaney has predicted that his party, Independent Fianna Fáil, will merge with Fianna Fáil by the autumn and rejected criticisms of the move by his cousins, writes Michael O'Regan, Parliamentary Reporter
Mr Blaney told The Irish Times yesterday that talks with Fianna Fáil about the merger were continuing and he hoped they would not go on much longer.
"I would be optimistic that there will be a merger by the autumn. It is a 35-year split we are trying to get over and, obviously, that will not be easy.
"My organisation is behind the merger, and when matters become clear everybody will know about it."
The proposed merger has been strongly criticised by the family of Mr Blaney's uncle, the late Neil Blaney, who set up Independent Fianna Fáil in Donegal North East following his expulsion from Fianna Fáil in 1971 in the aftermath of the arms crisis.
Responding, Niall Blaney said: "My cousins are entitled to their views and I respect them. But they were never members of Fianna Fáil and have lived in Dublin all their lives. Dublin is a far cry from Donegal politics.
"Any politician who does not listen to his organisation will not be around too long. I am acting on the views of my organisation more than anything else."
Mr Blaney said that the split between his uncle and Fianna Fáil was a long time ago. "The young voters of today know nothing about it and do not want to know. They want to move on with modern Ireland, as I do."
Mr Blaney said it was important for politicians not to "bury their heads in the sand and live in the past".
Mr Blaney said he hoped that Fianna Fáil would set up branches in Northern Ireland. "It could be a way of bringing about a majority view that the island should be one."
Meanwhile, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey met the local Fianna Fáil organisation in Letterkenny last night to discuss the merger.