The Mayo TD, Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn, was expelled from the Fianna Fail parliamentary party last night after the Taoiseach insisted her continued presence was damaging and she had to go now.
The vote was taken by a show of hands after a four-hour meeting during which Ms Cooper-Flynn said she was innocent of encouraging people to evade tax. But the party voted overwhelmingly to withdraw the whip from her despite her plea for more time to consider an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Later Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn raised a question of whether she will now always vote with the Government.
"I now have to consider the Bills that affects the people of Mayo. I will vote for what is in the best interests of the people of Mayo. At the end of the day, Seamus Brennan, who has a very tough job, never takes anybody's vote for granted."
She said that she remains one of the candidates selected by the Fianna Fail constituency organisation in Mayo to run in the next election: "That remains the situation," she said.
Last night senior party sources refused to speculate on whether she would remain a party candidate for the next election. However, just after the meeting she voted with the Government in a routine Dail vote.
The Government chief whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, said just over 70 members of the parliamentary party attended the meeting. They voted on a motion he proposed that "pending the final outcome of any appeal she may pursue, the Fianna Fail whip be withdrawn" from Ms Cooper-Flynn.
The motion acknowledged that Ms Cooper-Flynn was "entitled to exhaust all right of appeal in the court process" but it was in the best interest of the party and the work of the Government that she be expelled.
Last night a number of deputies told The Irish Times Mr Ahern's firm stance at yesterday's meeting had ensured that support for Ms Cooper-Flynn would ultimately be seen as opposing him. "It came down to voting for Beverley or the Taoiseach, that's how it went," said one backbencher.
Around 40 people spoke over the four hours. Over half of those who did so said she should put the party first and resign, according to party chairman, Mr Rory O'Hanlon.
In his address, Mr Ahern said while no judgment was being made on guilt or innocence, he could not ignore the jury's decision. This action was necessary for the sake of the party and unless it happened he would keep facing questions and criticism in the Dail, the business of Government would be interrupted, and he had to consider public opinion.
Ms Cooper-Flynn spoke for over half an hour. She said she deserved more time to consider whether she wished to appeal and referred to Mr Ahern saying in the Dail two weeks ago that she was entitled to due process. A number of those who attended the meeting said her performance was very impressive.
Afterwards Mr Brennan said that as of now she was no longer in the Fianna Fail parliamentary party. "Her colleagues felt it was a very hard thing to do but virtually all felt the need to do it," he said.
He said if she were to win an appeal in her case to the Supreme Court on the "substantive issues", as opposed to an appeal on costs, she would be "very welcome" to reapply.
Ms Cooper-Flynn's expulsion brings the Government's voting strength down to 78 - 74 Fianna Fail deputies and four PDs.
