FIANNA FÁIL TD Mary O'Rourke secured leadership of the Seanad in 2002 after she "really stood up" to then taoiseach Bertie Ahern, she has told Hot Pressmagazine.
Ms O’Rourke, who was re-elected to the Dáil at the last election, spent five years in the Seanad after losing her Dáil seat in 2002 to Donie Cassidy of Fianna Fáil.
“I said to Bertie, ‘I want two things: I want you to give me a Seanad seat and I want you to make me leader of the Seanad.’ He said, ‘All right . . . all right!’ ”
In the interview in the latest edition of Hot Press, which goes on sale tomorrow, Ms O'Rourke said she "had it out" with Mr Ahern when she went to see him to "reinforce the commitment" after some time had passed.
She was understood to have been unhappy with the election strategy of Fianna Fáil headquarters relating to her constituency in 2002.
“And I had it out with him then. I said to him, ‘You know, you did me!’
He said, ‘Ah, don’t be going on with that old talk, Mary!’ But I know he did it!”
