FF branch seeks to stop Gerety-Quinn running in election

Fianna Fáil’s national executive is to consider a motion on Thursday from its branch in Co Longford calling for a gender directive to be overturned.

The motion calls for the selection convention to be recalled and the ratification of Connie Gerety-Quinn as the candidate for the Longford-Westmeath constituency to be reversed.

Cllr Seamus Butler said there had been positive feedback from the national executive and he was hopeful of a positive outcome.

“Doing nothing is not an option. There is a huge amount of anger out there,” he said.

The Irish Times understands the party will not overturn the decision and will stand by its decision to issue a gender directive.

Members of the national executive have been contacted by members of the branch over the past number of weeks urging support for the motion.

The Longford members have abandoned plans to picket party headquarters over the decision.

Ms Gerety-Quinn was nominated as the party’s candidate last month despite opposition from the members attending the selection convention.

The manager of the Longford Citizen’s Information Service, was nominated despite the opposition of the majority of the 350 or so delegates who attended the meeting at the Longford Arms Hotel.

Fianna Fáil has already selected sitting TD Robert Troy as the candidate in the Westmeath end of the constituency.

Cllr Butler and the former president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association Pat O’Rourke had expressed interest in being a candidate, but a direction from party headquarters specified that the convention select a woman candidate.