Micheál Martin tells Fianna Fáil he is ‘deeply sorry’ after Jim Gavin withdrawal

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is “deeply sorry” for how Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin had fared during the presidential race.

The Fianna Fáil leader said he had not spoken to the party’s former presidential contender but said he was in touch with friends of Mr Gavin.

Mr Gavin withdrew as a presidential contender last Sunday after a tenant claimed he tried to recover €3,300 in overpaid rent from Mr Gavin 16 years ago.

“I’ve been speaking to people close to Jim,” he said.

“I think Jim is obviously having time with himself and his family, and I think that should be respected, and I think it’s been very traumatic for him and very difficult for him and for his family, and I’m very conscious and aware of that.

“I have been talking to close friends of Jim.”

He said he is “glad to see that that has been resolved” in relation to Mr Gavin reportedly repaying his former tenant €3,300.

“I think the tenant is also a victim in all of this,” he said.

“I listened to the podcast (the tenant spoke on) and I think he spoke frankly and candidly and in a very reasonable manner. So I’m glad that that has been resolved.”

He made the comments at the annual Fianna Fáil grassroots event on Saturday evening in Dublin, days after he apologised to his parliamentary party for how presidential candidate Mr Gavin fared.

Addressing the event, he said he was “deeply sorry… for how things turned” out, and acknowledged the disappointment within the party.

“Clearly we need to have a new procedure for deciding when we run a candidate for president and who that candidate is to be,” he said.

“I for one support the idea that we move to a process which is in tune with the wider reforms which we have introduced in the past.”

“Tonight, we think of Jim Gavin and his family, who have gone through a very traumatic time,” he added, which drew applause from the room.

“Jim Gavin has made a very significant contribution to our country as UN peacekeeper, public servant and in his impactful work in the North East inner city of Dublin, where he is hugely respected. This needs to be said.”

Speaking to the media before his address, Mr Martin also explained his decision not to direct party members to vote a certain way, stating it would represent “a certain degree of arrogance” if he did.

He said he would vote for Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys, as “it’s important that the president of Ireland is one who can get on with other countries”, but said he would not campaign for her.

Earlier, Ms Humphreys thanked Mr Martin for saying he would vote for her.

Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly said on Saturday that Mr Martin was “entitled” to back Ms Humphreys and said: “I think he probably has actually clarified the situation – that for the leadership of Fianna Fáil there is very little difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, so the people of Ireland have a clear choice to make now.”

Mr Gavin’s withdrawal has left just two candidates in the race ahead of polling day in less than two weeks.

On Saturday, Ms Humphreys canvassed in Co Tipperary, while left-wing independent Ms Connolly met people in counties Waterford and Wexford.

Speaking at Upperchurch Drombane GAA, Ms Humphreys was asked about comments from former Fine Gael minister and broadcaster Ivan Yates calling on Fine Gael to “smear the bejaysus out of” Ms Connolly.

Ms Connolly said she was “absolutely shocked” when she heard Mr Yates’s comments and said it “trivialised” the election campaign.

Ms Humphreys responded: “Ivan Yates is a commentator, and he hasn’t been in Fine Gael for the last 25 years, and he’s certainly not advising me on my campaign.

I need all the votes I can get, there's no question about that

“He’s entitled to say what he thinks himself. He’s no more involved in my campaign than Joe Brolly is involved in Catherine Connolly’s campaign.

“So I won’t be a candidate that’s going to smear anybody, but I will ask the hard questions, and I have already a number of issues that I think Catherine needs to clarify.”

She raised the issue again of Ms Connolly giving a woman with a Special Criminal Court conviction access to the Dáil for six months while Garda clearance was pending.

She said: “We all know the rules are very clear, you must have Garda vetting. We talk about trying to unite people in this country, we’re talking about a united Ireland. Éirígí are the very people that tried to pull down the Good Friday Agreement.”

She also raised questions about using €3,691 of parliamentary allowance for a trip to Syria in 2018.

“I really do believe she needs to answer those questions, but those are straight questions, and that’s acceptable in any campaign,” Ms Humphreys said.

“These are the questions that will be debated during the campaign, but I certainly won’t be smearing anybody.”

Appealing for votes, Ms Humphreys said she was “a centre ground candidate” at a “divisive” time who “won’t fall out with our European neighbours”.

“I need all the votes I can get, there’s no question about that,” she said as she pledged to travel on trade missions “all over the world” if she became president.

Ms Humphreys also thanked Mr Martin for saying he would vote for her after Mr Gavin’s shock withdrawal.

After surviving a leadership wobble during the week, Mr Martin said he would not be telling party members who to vote for, stating that “when you start telling people how to vote, they generally go in the opposite direction”.

Asked about discontent within Fianna Fáil, junior minister Niall Collins said the issue needed to be put into perspective.

“Nobody is dead,” he said on RTÉ Radio.

Ms Humphreys said she had received phone calls from some Fianna Fáil members “who will definitely vote for me”.

“I’d just like to thank the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, for saying that he’s supporting me and he’s going to vote for me. I do appreciate that,” she said.

Asked about her stance on fox hunting, Ms Humphreys said she is in favour of “rural pursuits”, stating that there are “many controls” and “many regulations” in place.

The candidates are entering the final week of campaigning, which includes a one-on-one debate on RTÉ Radio on Sunday.

The last poll conducted, which was published last Sunday before Mr Gavin’s withdrawal, put Ms Connolly ahead of Ms Humphreys.