No heave against Micheal Martin within Fianna Fail, says Jack Chambers

A heave is not building against Micheal Martin within Fianna Fail, the party’s deputy leader has said.

Jack Chambers appeared on RTE’s News at One after the Taoiseach was criticised by a number of his party’s backbenchers over the handling of recent fuel protests.

On Wednesday night, Mr Martin met with Fianna Fail’s three youngest TDs after they issued a letter saying they viewed “events of the past few weeks with a real and deep concern”.

Following the publication of the letter, senior party members also voiced their disquiet at the Government’s handling of fuel protests and blockades.

Asked by presenter Aine Lawlor if the past few days would lead up to a “heave” against Mr Martin, Mr Chambers replied “not at all”.

He also said he did not believe Mr Martin would step down as leader following Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, which the country is due to hold from July to December this year.

And when asked if Mr Martin would give the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis in May a “timeline for his departure”, Mr Chambers replied “absolutely not”.

There is still “continued and widespread support for Micheal Martin as leader and Taoiseach of our country” he said, adding: “He’s got a strong mandate from the last general election.”

Mr Chambers told RTE he was not at the meeting with the three young TDs – James O’Connor, Albert Dolan, and Ryan O’Meara – but said he understood they had a “constructive and positive conversation about the concerns that they set out in their public statement”.

Asked if there would be an “urgent meeting” of the parliamentary party, as requested by some TDs, Mr Chambers said a four-hour meeting had taken place on Monday where there was “strong feedback” about “their experience of the last week”.

He added another meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Mr Chambers said he “would not entertain” questions about his own leadership ambitions, and said Mr Martin works “night and day in the interests of people across this country”.

Ministers, like him, were not pushing for a new leader out of an “absolute respect for him in his role and the huge integrity and dedication he brings to that office and his huge focus on public service”, Mr Chambers said, adding: “I think we need to support him through that.”

Other senior Fianna Fail members voiced their support for the Taoiseach on Thursday. At the opening of a new fire station in Maynooth, Co Kildare, Housing Minister James Browne said he has “absolute confidence in Micheal Martin”.

“I think he’s shown time and time again, through his leadership, that he understands and empathises with the situation in this country,” he said.

At the same event, the Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless said he also had “confidence” in Mr Martin.

Mr Lawless, who has previously voiced leadership ambitions, said: “It’s difficult to be leader of a country or a party or both, but he is doing his very best, and has led us through a number of difficult challenges over recent years.”