Martin determined to continue as Fianna Fail leader after Gavin exit

Micheal Martin said it is his intention to continue leading Fianna Fail, after the party’s presidential candidate dramatically withdrew from the race.

Mr Martin, who pushed for Jim Gavin to be the Fianna Fail candidate amid considerable internal party disquiet, acknowledged he had made a strong recommendation for the former football manager and said his strategy was to pick a “broad-based candidate”.

He said: “I take responsibility for that and I want to acknowledge that many, many members of the party are hurting out there because of what has transpired.”

It came after Mr Gavin’s bombshell withdrawal shook up the presidential race and put the Fianna Fail party into disarray.

He dropped out of contention late on Sunday night, after being dogged by questions about claims he owed a former tenant thousands of euro for a rental arrangement that was not properly registered.

Speaking on RTE’s Six One, Mr Martin characterised it as a “tough day for the party”.

The Taoiseach said: “We’ve been through tough times in the past – I’ve been through tough times as a leader of the party.

“This is a tough day for us as a party, not something I anticipated or wanted in any shape or form.”

Asked if Jim Gavin decided to withdraw as a presidential candidate or if the party leadership told him to back out, Mr Martin said: “Jim made the decision himself, but we did discuss it with him.”

The handling of the controversy has been criticised as a “complete shambles” from inside the party and out, raising questions about Mr Martin’s decision to drive for a candidate with no political experience.

Mr Gavin, an aviation official who was formerly a military pilot and Dublin Gaelic football manager, withdrew from the race after acknowledging he “made a mistake”.

It comes after the Irish Independent reported claims from a tenant who said he had failed to recover more than 3,000 euro (£2,600) in overpaid rent from Mr Gavin 16 years ago.

Mr Gavin, 54, told reporters on Sunday: “If it happened, I’m very sorry that it happened. I’m looking into it and I will deal with it with urgency.”

Hours later, the Dubliner issued a statement to say he was taking steps to address a “mistake” that was not in keeping with his character or the standards he sets for himself.

He announced: “I have decided to withdraw from the presidential election contest with immediate effect and return to the arms of my family.”

Deputy Fianna Fail leader Jack Chambers said a “clear contradiction” emerged between the candidate initially stating he had no record or recollection of the issue on Friday and with documentation provided to the party by the tenant on Saturday.

The party proceeded to allow Mr Gavin to take part in Sunday’s debate on RTE’s The Week In Politics where he did not confirm the veracity of the claim and said he was still gathering information.

That timeline has also prompted questions about the party apparatus’s decision-making and transparency on the controversy as well as its vetting processes.

Mr Martin said the party did “comprehensive due diligence” around Mr Gavin and, while being aware he was a former landlord, was not aware of the rent issue.

He said the candidate initially said there had “absolutely not” been any issue with a tenant.

Pressed on whether Mr Gavin had not told the party the truth, Mr Martin said: “I think what happened here was there was an issue happened in his life back in and around 2009.

“He clearly did not deal with it at that time or since, and probably buried it somewhere in the recesses of his mind and didn’t deal with it and the consequences of that have now come home.”

Mr Gavin has explained that he came into financial difficulty during the crash, and subsequently lost the apartment in question.

The parliamentary party will meet on Wednesday evening in the wake of the upset, where contentious issues around the selection process will also be reopened.

Billy Kelleher, an MEP who unsuccessfully fought Mr Gavin for the party nomination, said Fianna Fail did not do “due diligence” in selecting the candidate.

Asked if Mr Martin’s leadership was badly damaged, Mr Kelleher said: “I think what we really have to do initially is just to assess the process, how it went so horribly wrong, so quickly.”

During that contest, former Fianna Fail leader and taoiseach Bertie Ahern also revealed to the media the extent of his “disappointment” with party leadership for failing to support his own bid for the Aras.

Mr Martin said there was a “need to be careful” around emphasising the weight of his role in selecting Mr Gavin, adding: “We have a parliamentary party of democratically elected representatives in their respective constituencies.

“There was actually, early on, a very strong positive reaction to Jim Gavin’s selection.”

He added: “The issue was Fianna Fail’s parliamentary party wanted a candidate but May, June, July no one came forward to me within the parliamentary party and said ‘I want to be the candidate’.”

Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said there should be an “urgent review” of the Fianna Fail candidate selection process while Children’s Minister Norma Foley said there was “enormous disappointment” within the party.

Higher Education Minister James Lawless said it was a “dark day for the party” and said questions would be asked of party leadership.

Meanwhile, former Fianna Fail deputy leader Eamon O Cuiv agreed with the assessment of fellow party stalwart Mary Hanafin, who also sought a nomination, that the saga had been a “complete shambles”.

Mr Martin said he was “very open” to a “comprehensive” review, adding: “I’ll consult with the parliamentary party fully in reviewing all of this.”

Mr Gavin’s withdrawal also came amid poor poll results for the candidate, with a Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll putting him in last place on 15%, behind left-wing independent Catherine Connolly (32%) and Fine Gael choice Heather Humphreys (23%).

His name will remain on the ballot paper.