Micheál Martin apologises to Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators after Gavin withdrawal

By Gráinne Ní Aodha and Bairbre Holmes, PA

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told his parliamentary party that he is sorry for how Jim Gavin’s candidacy ended and said he fully understands their disappointment.

The Fianna Fail parliamentary party met on Wednesday night, three days after their candidate, Mr Gavin withdrew from the presidential race dramatically.

Party members have been publicly and privately expressing their frustrations at how Mr Gavin, an aviation official who was formerly a military pilot and Dublin Gaelic football manager, won the party’s nomination.

Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not. I kind of feel sorry for him that he wasn’t handled better

MEP Billy Kelleher said ahead of the meeting that the integrity of the presidential election had been “undermined” by having a candidate on the ballot paper that was no longer in contention.

Mr Martin and deputy leader Jack Chambers have insisted that due diligence was carried out, but no issue with a previous tenant came to light.

Speaking at the parliamentary party meeting, Mr Martin is understood to have said he was sorry about how Mr Gavin’s candidacy unfolded and said he has the best interests of the party at heart.

He also said he was open to any suggestions on how the party’s presidential selection process could be changed.

Parliamentary party members are continuing to outline their views on the issue, with some emphasising a duty of care to Mr Gavin and his family.

The meeting comes after the former tenant, who has claimed Mr Gavin owes him more than €3,000, said he “feels sorry” for him.

Mr Gavin’s shock withdrawal came on Sunday night after he came under scrutiny over claims an ex-tenant had failed to recover €3,300 in overpaid rent from Mr Gavin 16 years ago.

Mr Gavin said it was a “very, very stressful time” for him and his family and a lot of families were in “financial difficulty” at that time.

The tenant who made the allegations against Mr Gavin, Niall Donald, told a podcast he co-hosts he feels sorry for his former landlord, saying: “I do feel that maybe he’s been punished too much.

“Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not. I kind of feel sorry for him that he wasn’t handled better.”

I don't believe anyone in Fianna Fail has thrown Jim Gavin under a bus, I think my abiding concern and the concern of everyone in Fianna Fail is about his welfare and to ensure that he gets through what is an extremely difficult time

Speaking on Crime World with Nicola Tallant, the Sunday World deputy editor said he could empathise with the financial difficulties Mr Gavin was facing at the time, telling his co-host: “Maybe he had huge pressures, and I was just one little one of them, maybe it wasn’t even the biggest one.”

But Mr Donald has expressed astonishment at how Fianna Fáil handled the situation, claiming the party had been aware of the story for weeks, saying: “Why didn’t they just contact me a few weeks ago and sort it out, or explain it to me, or explain it to somebody?”

Though Mr Donald said on the podcast he had not yet been contacted by Mr Gavin, a statement issued to RTE by a legal representative for Mr Gavin said they had “reached out” to Mr Donald and said they had been told to pay him €3,300, “subject to clarifying two issues”.

As questions about Mr Martin’s leadership were raised after he publicly backed Mr Gavin, a senior Fianna Fáil minister expressed interest in the leadership.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said being leader of Fianna Fáil would be something he aspires to “in the future” but was not an “immediate concern” as he praised Mr Martin.

He said it was an “extremely difficult time” for Mr Gavin and his family and said electoral politics is not easy.

Mr O’Callaghan said: “It’s all very easy to be sort of wise after the event.

“I don’t believe anyone in Fianna Fáil has thrown Jim Gavin under a bus, I think my abiding concern and the concern of everyone in Fianna Fáil is about his welfare and to ensure that he gets through what is an extremely difficult time.”

Mr Martin said that he had not spoken to Mr Gavin since Sunday as he was “taking a few days out”, but said he would.

“I feel very sorry for him. It’s been very traumatic for him because this is a man who has achieved a lot,” Mr Martin said.

The Fianna Fáil leader said he accepted the desire from his party that it would run a candidate and accepted that he recommended Mr Gavin as a candidate.

“I did recommend that, I’m not responsible for everything that unfolded, obviously, because we would have been totally unaware of the issue despite very comprehensive due diligence,” Mr Martin told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk.

He said, before the summer recess, the party did not have a candidate and “no-one” in the party expressed an interest in running for the presidency until the end of July.

Those who have said publicly they wanted to win the Fianna Fáil nomination include former taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Mr Ahern, former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin, and former singer and campaigner Bob Geldof.

“I don’t think Bertie would have made it, nothing against Bertie at all, I have great respect for Bertie Ahern because of what he did for the peace process,” Mr Martin said.

“It’s one of the single greatest achievements in Irish society, that peace process, and he deserves huge credit for that.

“It would have been incredibly bruising for him, I don’t know why he would want to bring it upon himself.”

He said Mr Gavin’s issue was one issue and one situation and referred to the “enormity” of what would be “churned out” against Mr Ahern.

Asked about a query Fianna Fail received from the Irish Independent on September 8th about a tenant issue with Mr Gavin, Mr Martin said: “‘Are you aware of’ was the type of question and the answer was, ‘no we’re not’.”

He said the issue was put to Mr Gavin, and he denied it.

Mr Martin said: “There was other rumours as well, and this is very difficult for people who put themselves forward.”

Mr Gavin’s withdrawal less than three weeks before polling day means his name will remain on the ballot paper.

Just two candidates are left in the race for the presidency: left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, who is backed by various opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, and Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys, a former social protection minister.

Polling day is on October 24th.