Fianna Fail's national executive is to be asked to decide whether a Co Roscommon councillor convicted of assaulting the former Minister for Justice, Mr Sean Doherty, should remain within the party.
A meeting to decide the future of Mr Tom Crosby ended in disarray in Roscommon last night, when Mr Crosby and his supporters objected to a ruling that only comhairle ceanntair members could be present.
After 40 minutes of heated debate and several failed attempts to proceed with business, the meeting was ad journed by the chairman, Mr Paddy Kilduff. Mr Kilduff said he would refer the decision to the national executive, and would advise the executive that he had been prevented from dealing with the matter "in an orderly fashion".