Fianna Fáil has stopped short of imposing any immediate sanction on a former junior minister who has admitted sending bogus letters purporting to be from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in his local election campaign. Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter, reports.
The former Wexford TD, Mr Lorcan Allen, is coming under increasing pressure from the party after he accepted "full responsibility" for the letters in which voters in Gorey were urged to give Mr Allen their first preference vote over his running mate, Mr Pat Rath.
While Mr Allen was reported earlier to have denied any knowledge of the letters, he admitted that he was wrong to use some 2,000 pre-paid Oireachtas envelopes to distribute the letters.
Last night a Co Wexford-based senator, Mr Jim Walsh, said he had given some envelopes to him in recent months for responses to queries from constituents with which he had an involvement.
However, he had asked Mr Allen to return the envelopes because he needed them himself. "To the best of my knowledge, they were all returned but I'll have to double-check that," Senator Walsh said.
Sources on the Fianna Fáil national executive acknowledged that members were under pressure from some TDs, senators and grassroots activists to expel Mr Allen from the executive after he said he used Mr Ahern's signature without his consent.
In addition, Fianna Fail's official spokeswoman confirmed that Mr Allen had signed an election pledge in which he promised to refrain from any activity inimical to the prestige of the party and to uphold the highest standards of ethical behaviour.
As the outgoing chairman of Wexford County Council, Mr Allen secured 1,946 first preference votes and was elected on the ninth count. Mr Rath, who received 1,105 votes, failed to be elected.
The acting county secretary of the council, Mr Ger Griffin, said the result of the election would stand. "It wouldn't be a matter for us, big, little or small. Once he's elected on the day, he is elected and it's not a matter for us." Mr Rath said it was "absolutely unbelievable" that Fianna Fáil appeared to have accepted Mr Allen's "fulsome apology" in a statement which made no mention of any further action.
From Spain, where he is on holidays, Mr Rath said: "Will an apology ameliorate the feelings of an electorate who were duped on a pretty massive scale? Will it bring closure to the hurt that was caused to Fianna Fáil to the standards expected in public office?" However, Fianna Fail's spokeswoman said its investigations were continuing and would now centre on where Mr Allen procured the Oireachtas envelopes.
While declining to indicate what action might be taken against Mr Allen, she said the party's general secretary, Mr Seán Dorgan, would give a report from the inquiry to Mr Rath and to the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who was director of elections in the local campaign. The report will also be given to the national executive, of which Mr Allen is a member. The spokeswoman said it was a matter for the national executive to decide on any further action.
Mr Allen, who did not respond to calls yesterday, said in his statement that he wanted to apologise unreservedly to Mr Ahern. "I hereby accept full responsibility for this letter, which was distributed during the pressurised atmosphere of an intensive election campaign." It followed a meeting yesterday with Mr Dorgan and the party's national organiser, Mr Seán Sherwin.