Fianna Fáil's reputation as a democratic party has been restored, according to North-West MEP Seán Ó Neachtain, who secured the nomination for forthcoming European Parliament elections at a heated selection convention in Roscommon at the weekend.
Mr Ó Neachtain surprised even some of his own supporters when he secured 61 per cent of votes in the contest with Minister of State for Labour and Galway West party colleague, Mr Frank Fahey. Mr Ó Neachtain will now run on the party ticket with Dr Jim McDaid in the North-West constituency.
Some 962 party delegates voted at the convention in Roscommon, and 590 votes supported Mr Ó Neachtain while Mr Fahey received 372 votes. Billed as a battle between Fianna Fáil "grassroots" and the "might" of the party's national executive, the convention was chaired by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, as director of elections for the June European vote.
Four Cabinet ministers, including the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, who is director of elections for the North-West constituency, were among the attendance of almost 1,000 at the meeting. Also present were the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith; the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan; and junior ministers Ms Sile de Valera, Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher and Mr Noel Treacy.
Fianna Fáil's party headquarters had already endorsed the candidature of Mr Fahey and Dr McDaid as providing the best combination to secure two seats. However, Mr Ó Neachtain, who was nominated to Europe to replace Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher when he returned to national politics, refused to stand aside, in spite of intense pressure from several Cabinet ministers.
Mr Fahey had initially said that he did not want to run in a contest with his constituency colleague, and the first selection convention, planned for Castlebar, was postponed to allow for "negotiation". When no accommodation could be reached, the junior minister announced that he would stand, while warning that whoever secured the nomination could find it very difficult to secure a seat. Fianna Fáil sources had already leaked parts of a "private poll" which allegedly claimed that Mr Ó Neachtain would be "unelectable".
The convention unanimously selected Dr McDaid, and it was then proposed that only delegates in the southern end of the constituency - representing Mayo, Galway, Clare and Roscommon - should participate in the contest between Mr Fahey and Mr Ó Neachtain.
However, this was rejected by a majority of delegates balloted and all nine counties voted.
Mr Ó Neachtain expressed delight at his victory. "I believe now that delegates have spoken, and all this controversy and the issues that were raised have become something positive within the party."
