The Fianna Fáil leadership has moved to quell unrest in its Galway West constituency organisation by announcing that the party's constituencies committee will pick the candidates for the next election after an interview process.
The selection convention in Galway last Sunday ended in chaos when delegates refused to accept a directive that they should select only three candidates to run in the five-seat constituency.
Minister of State Tony Killeen was forced to adjourn the convention amid scenes of disorder when delegates refused to accept the directive from the constituencies committee about candidate strategy.
In a statement last night, the party said that, having received a report on the Galway West convention, the constituencies committee, headed by Fianna Fáil deputy leader Brian Cowen, had decided on a strategy to deal with the situation.
The committee selected the two outgoing TDs, Minister Éamon Ó Cuív and Junior Minister Frank Fahey, as candidates with immediate effect.
The committee decided to interview all four additional nominees, and to complete the panel of candidates when the interview process was completed.
The party was not prepared to say whether one or two candidates would be added to the ticket after the interview process.
The contenders to join the outgoing TDs last Sunday were Cllr John Connolly, Cllr Mary Hoade, Cllr Séamus Walsh and Val Hanley.
The four were asked to leave the room after Mr Killeen announced that the constituencies committee had instructed that three candidates were to be selected at the convention.
After their departure, uproar broke out, with some delegates complaining that they would not accept diktat from headquarters.
"I think we need to consider whether we have one or two Fianna Fáils," Mr Killeen told the meeting.
"If you take the view that the national executive is a different party I can't stop you, and that is a very serious view to take. In fact, it's a view that undermines the integrity of the party."
Amid roars of "listen to the grassroots" and "call it off", Mr Killeen attempted to explain the rules.
He explained that under the rules decided at the Fianna Fáil ardfheis, his only option was to allow the delegates to select three candidates.
At this point, John Joe Halloran, a Fianna Fáil activist from Clonbur, jumped on to the stage and grabbed the microphone from the Minister.
After he made some remarks on US military planes passing through Shannon, Mr Killeen grabbed the microphone back. Mr Halloran continued to shout from the stage.
Mr Killeen said at that point the only thing he could do was declare the proceeding a non-convention.
The room erupted into cheers and the delegates stood up and left.
