Ms Beverly Flynn's career in Fianna Fáil came to an end last night when the party's national executive voted by 81 to 5 to expel her from the organisation. The expulsion of the Co Mayo TD came after a meeting in Leinster House last night which was characterised by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, as a defining moment for the party.
Mr Ahern told the national executive that the party would also have to deal with any other members who transgressed ethics and standards in public life. Stating that the Fianna Fáil was at a cross-roads, he said the integrity of the party depended on the expulsion of Ms Flynn.
Mr Ahern was followed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, who proposed the motion. The motion was seconded by the Minister for Communications, Mr Ahern.
Ms Flynn, who was only allowed into the room to make her own contribution, expressed regret that there had been no secret ballot. While her supporters warned of a backlash against Fianna Fáil in Co Mayo, the national executive said in a statement that it would continue to work for its members and organisation in Mayo "in the spirit of building and developing the party".
Up to 50 people were said to have spoken at the meeting, which broke up shortly after 9 p.m., but only five spoke in favour of Ms Flynn.
The five were: Senator Mary White, Ms Sadie Jordan, Ms Kathryn Byrne, Ms Bridget Guinevan and Ms Bernie Lalor. They were said to have claimed that expulsion from the Parliamentary Party was an adequate penalty. Mr Ahern said the issues with Ms Flynn were never personal and he suggested that people had come to the meeting with a heavy heart. As president of the party, he was charged with ensuring the rules of the party were applied.
While every member had a right to got through due process, Mr Ahern said the negative Supreme Court ruling against Ms Flynn left him no option but to call for her expulsion. According to sources, Mr Cowen said Fianna Fáil would be faced with serious political implications if it failed to expel Ms Flynn. Public confidence in political life would be dented, he said.
Mr Dermot Ahern said it was very important for Fianna Fáil to deal with the issues surrounding Ms Flynn. TDs walked into the Dáil as lawmakers and the public were entitled to expect that the party would respect that, he said.
Ms Flynn was accompanied by two Co Mayo councillors, Mr Jimmy Moloney and Mr Seán Burke, but the party's national organiser,
Mr Seán Sherwin, refused her request to bring up to 10 supporters into the meeting. She said: "I think its very, very unusual in any court in the land, if you were to go in and have to answer a motion, it seems absolutely bizarre that you would not get a chance to hear what the proposers and seconder of the motion would say."
She went on: "How can you possibly answer queries that might be raised? I really don't think that that was reasonable I don't think in any democracy that you honestly expect a person to go in and answer a motion and not let them hear the other side." She was also angry that procedures used to expel Mr Des O'Malley from Fianna Fáil in 1985 were invoked last night.
"I don't believe that we can stand today and say that we have to be bound by precedents that happened 19 years ago. To me that seems completely illogical."
