FIANNA FÁIL REACTION:MINISTER OF State Martin Mansergh has warned a leadership change within Fianna Fáil during the current difficult economic situation could cause "acute political instability".
In a statement supporting Taoiseach Brian Cowen, he also warned that changing leader would not revitalise Fianna Fáil ahead of a general election.
“There is a real danger that acute political instability, triggered by a late leadership change, could have negative consequences for the country in terms of financial confidence, and that any apparent short-term political advantage could prove a mirage given the likely precipitation of an almost immediate general election.”
He said it was a historical fact that no Fianna Fáil leader and taoiseach had ever been defeated in a confidence vote in the parliamentary party. It was in the national interest, as well as in the party’s interest, that the essential work of the Government proceed in an orderly fashion.
Minister of State Conor Lenihan said that people in his constituency wanted a change of leader.
He said there was a very negative public perception towards Mr Cowen following recent disclosures about his meetings with executives of Anglo Irish Bank.
“The broad mass of the public are very, very cynical and very, very sceptical about these contacts. So it is a huge issue of concern . . . and it certainly dented the credibility of him and the party,” Mr Lenihan said.
Speaking in an interview on RTÉ, Mr Lenihan said: “Of those that I have spoken to to date in my own constituency of Tallaght, pretty much the majority of the people feel it’s appropriate that we should have a change of leadership now ahead of the general election.”
He said he would expect there were enough people in the parliamentary party to sign their names and put down an appropriate motion to focus the debate on the issue.
When asked if he would like to see his brother and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan become Fianna Fáil leader, he said all three of the leadership candidates – Mary Hanafin, Brian Lenihan and Micheál Martin – were equally qualified and competent to become leaders.
He said it was now up to all three to show leadership on the issue at hand.
Christy O’Sullivan, a backbench Fianna Fáil TD, said he met Mr Cowen yesterday to outline some of the concerns people had raised about his leadership.
He said they had a “very frank and open discussion”. He would support Mr Cowen while he was leader of the party and while no one came forward to challenge him.
If a challenger emerged for the leadership then “we would be in a different place”.