Angry Fianna Fáil backbenchers were told yesterday there would be no Government climb-down on the controversial decision to abolish the first-time house buyers' grant.
More than 30 TDs, including two former ministers, lined up at a marathon meeting of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party to express their anger at the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance over the house grant measure, and their general handling of the public finances.
Mr John Moloney, Laois-Offaly, said the Government would not be able to count on his vote in the future unless he was included as part of a team.
Several TDs were critical of Mr McCreevy for saying that the first-time buyers' grant would not make much difference to the overall cost of a property.
Mr Ned O'Keeffe, Cork East, asked Mr McCreevy where he had gone astray with the public finances in the past five years. If working for a private company, he would be forced to resign.
Mr O'Keeffe said the Progressive Democrats were too powerful and their two cabinet members had far too much influence. He called on the Taoiseach to drop them and form a new Government partnership.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, told the meeting there would be "no comfort" for house buyers who had paid a booking deposit before the publication of the estimates on November 14th. The Minister rejected a plea from TDs to allow house buyers in this "limbo" period to apply for the grant, saying there was no mechanism to him do this.
He was speaking after debate on a motion tabled by Mr Barry Andrews, Dún Laoghaire, and Mr John Curran, Dublin Mid-West, calling for first-time buyers who had paid booking deposits to be allowed proceed with applying for the grant.
Both TDs said the Government was legally and morally obliged to assist them.
A total of 33 backbenchers spoke at the meeting, which was described as one of the most "open and charged" gatherings of the parliamentary party in recent times.
One long-serving TD said he had never seen a party room so packed, and the mood among backbenchers so irate. "There was a lot of tough talking done. There is something seriously wrong with this party at the moment," he said.
Several hit out at the fact that backbenchers were not prepared in advance for the decision on the first-time house buyers' grant, and pleaded for better communication.
Among those critical of the Government handling of the public finances were former minister and the Seanad leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke, and Dr Michael Woods. Dublin North TD, Mr G.V. Wright, who had been one of the most outspoken on the first- time house buyers' grant since the estimates were published, was, according to one backbencher, the "star of the show".
"He spoke passionately about the need to go back to left-of-centre policies and to look after the small man,"
Others who spoke included: Mr Eoin Ryan, Mr Martin Barry, Mr Noel O'Flynn, Mr John McGuinness, Mr Johnny Brady, Mr Batt O'Keeffe and Mr John Dennehy.
The Minister for the Gaeltacht, Mr Ó Cuív, spoke in defence of the decision to retain the first-time house buyers' grant for those living in Gaeltacht areas.
The Taoiseach said Fianna Fáil was a left-of-centre party, and that was where he wanted to keep it.
Mr Ahern said he wished to focus on people who were less well off and he was glad this was an issue which concerned so many members of the party.
Mark Hennessy adds:
The Progressive Democrats Parliamentary Party yesterday supported the estimates produced by Mr McCreevy with little debate.
Galway West TD, Mr Noel Grealish, again voiced his concern about the abolition of the first-time buyers' grant, while emphasising he was supporting the Government. His call for Budget tax changes to help new home buyers was not formally supported by colleagues.