A Fianna Fáil councillor at the centre of a controversy over taking cocaine has received support from opposition colleagues on Dublin City Council, who have criticised Fianna Fáil over its handling of the affair.
Cllr Liam Kelly has vehemently denied that he was taking cocaine in photographs published in a newspaper last month, which show him hunched over what appears to be a powder-like substance.
He has made a formal complaint to the Garda that he has been the subject of a blackmail attempt.
On Friday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the party would be carrying out an investigation into the affair.
Cllr Kelly is due to attend his first council meeting since the affair this evening, and yesterday colleagues said that an emergency motion of support for the politician would be considered.
Yesterday the leader of the Fine Gael group on the council, Gerry Breen, accused Mr Ahern and Fianna Fáil of hypocrisy and said Cllr Kelly was entitled to due process. He was especially critical of the Taoiseach's brother, Minister of State Noel Ahern, who suggested Cllr Kelly should resign the Fianna Fáil whip on the council. Mr Ahern is also a TD for the area Cllr Kelly represents in Finglas.
Cllr Breen cited the cases of former minister Jim McDaid and Dublin North TD GV Wright, who were both convicted of drink-driving in the last three years. "These were two senior TDs who got into high-powered cars and who admitted to and were convicted of drink-driving," he said.
"I didn't hear the Taoiseach calling for an investigation into these cases, and I don't remember his brother Noel Ahern looking for their resignations either."
Cllr Breen said there were no plans as yet to discuss Cllr Kelly's situation at tonight's meeting but that an emergency motion of support for Cllr Kelly may be considered in advance of it.
"Liam is one of the more considered members on the council and he makes good and intelligent contributions to council debates," he said. "He's a very good politician."
Cllr Breen said he could not understand calls for Cllr Kelly's resignation within his own party when he was not the subject of a Garda investigation.
"These are allegations made by people who are now being investigated for blackmail," he said.
The announcement of an internal party inquiry followed requests to Cllr Kelly from Fianna Fáil's legal representatives for an explanation of his actions. He has told the party he was not using drugs and is not a drug user, but has to date refused to supply a written explanation about what he was doing when photographed. He has told gardaí he was rolling a cigarette.