A defiant Beverley Cooper-Flynn said today she intends to continue her political career as a Fianna Fáil TD and will fight any move to remove her from the party. But the Taoiseach insisted today he was sticking by a decision to expel her.
Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning, Ms Cooper-Flynn said that she intends to stay on as TD for as long as the people of Mayo want her.
"The only reason that my political career will be brought to an end is if that is the wishes of the people of Mayo. They're the people I put myself up for and they're the people that I serve and I will continue as long as they want me," Ms Cooper-Flynn said.
Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn
She said she has not received any formal notification from Fianna Fáil over any disciplinary action against her, following the failure of her Supreme Court appeal against her RTÉ libel action.
However, Ms Cooper-Flynn added she wanted to remain in the party: "I believe the reality of the situation is that I still have something to contribute to Fianna Fáil both locally and nationally, if I'm allowed to do that."
After the ruling yesterday, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, began moves to expel Ms Cooper-Flynn from Fianna Fáil and its parliamentary party
Mr Ahern said last night he will propose the motion to expel her from the parliamentary party at its meeting next Tuesday. A special Fianna Fáil ardcomhairle meeting will be convened on Friday or Saturday of next week to vote on the rare proposal to expel a TD from the party altogether.
Speaking in Galway this morning, Mr Ahern said he was sticking by the decision made last night.
He said: "Due process will be rigourously followed. She will the opportunity to state her case. I don't make the decision; the membership of both the parliamentary party and the national executive will make the decision.
"I stand totally by the decision made last night and I agree with that decision," the Taoiseach added.
Ms Cooper-Flynn said there was disquiet within the local organisation at moves to remove her from the party, and she vowed she would fight such a move at ardcomhairle and parliamentary party level.
Referring to her failed libel action against an RTÉ report that she assisted individuals in the evasion of tax while an employee of National Irish Bank, Ms Cooper-Flynn reiterated her belief that she had not done anything anything illegal. She insisted she was selling the bank's products and following bank policy.
Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn
"My position has always been, even after the result of the High Court and indeed the Supreme Court, that I was working, doing a job, as an employee of the bank. I worked always in accordance with bank policy and always understood that I was doing nothing wrong," Ms Cooper-Flynn said.
On the matter of her legal costs, which are estimated at €2 million, Ms Cooper-Flynn said she intends to pay her bills subject to negotiations between her legal team and the tax authorities.
She denied any "no foal-no fee" arrangement was in place with her legal team and pointed out she was the only person involved in the case who paid their own costs.