[ad_1]
Galway West Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív has said his party needs a new leader and a “change of direction”.
Ó Cuív said that Fianna Fáil was in danger of disappearing and that the party had lost contact with its support base in recent times.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today show with Claire Byrne, he cited the performance of the party’s general election and the results of subsequent opinion polls as evidence of what he had previously called an “existential crisis.”
Before the formation of the government, the former minister called for coalition discussions with Sinn Féin, saying that voters had clearly indicated that they did not want Fine Gael to return to power.
This morning, Ó Cuív said that discussion about the future of the party among members had been hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on regular meetings.
He said the party needed to examine the results of recent opinion polls and alter the direction it was taking.
Part of this problem, he said, is because the party’s membership has aged and not been renewed.
He said that the party leadership sold the coalition “very, very hard” and that he was the only person who constantly spoke out against the idea.
He warned that if Fianna Fáil continued on her current trajectory, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael will dominate the next election.
Ó Cuív said he disagreed with Taoiseach Michael Martin on several issues.
He would not be attracted to who he thought the new party leader should be, adding that he has no interest in the position.
[ad_2]