FG MEETING:FINE GAEL TDs and Senators reacted with dismay when news of The Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll emerged during their first parliamentary party meeting of the new Dáil term last night.
Party leader Enda Kenny received a text message revealing details of the poll at 8.45pm, which he immediately read out, a number of those present confirmed.
“For 30 seconds no one said anything. There was shocked silence. It was extraordinary. It was just devastating for him. You could see it on his face,” said one member of the parliamentary party who did not want to be named.
The source predicted the poll finding that Fine Gael had dropped three points to 24 per cent would prompt a change of leadership in the party. “People are convinced that he’ll go of his own volition. Those close to him will have to realise that the game is up.”
However, other members insisted Mr Kenny would remain in his position.
The party’s spokesman on transport Simon Coveney described the poll results as “disappointing”. He had not attended the parliamentary party meeting and was in the Dáil chamber when the results emerged last night.
“The issues that are being debated in the Dáil really are what’s caught my attention this evening. If you’re asking me for a reaction to the poll, I’m slow to get too excited about them one way or the other,” Mr Coveney said.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. We’d like to be much stronger. But we’d be very foolish to be jumping to conclusions.”
Earlier, parliamentary party members had resolved to “take on Labour” in the aftermath of a pairing arrangement brokered by Labour’s education spokesman Ruairí Quinn, which allowed Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to go on an Enterprise Ireland mission to the United States.
The public’s reaction to the party’s policy of enforcing stricter pairing arrangements in an attempt to put pressure on the Government’s slender majority was discussed. “Some people would’ve been wondering whether we played it right on pairing, but the consensus was we should take on Labour,” one member said.
