Donohoe: Fine Gael 'will listen to what members have to say' in Maria Bailey meeting
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has confirmed Fine Gael will consider removing swing-gate TD Maria Bailey as a candidate in the next general election if her Dun Laoghaire constituency members seek the changes at a meeting tonight.
Mr Donohoe said "we will listen to what members have to say" and accepted "issues and difficulties have arisen" surrounding Ms Bailey despite stressing she "has been a deeply conscientious and deeply hard-working" TD.
On Tuesday, it emerged Ms Bailey's constituency colleagues have sought a meeting tonight at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire to debate a motion seeking to change the party's general election candidates in the area.
While Ms Bailey, minister of state for higher education Mary Mitchell O Connor and councillor Barry Ward are all currently on the ticket, it is widely accepted the motion relates to Ms Bailey and the swing-gate controversy this summer.
Asked about the possibility of Ms Bailey being removed from the ticket during a media event at Government Buildings on Wednesday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Fine Gael is a "party of democracy" which will listen to its members views.
And, speaking to reporters at a separate event at IBEC's headquarters in Dublin on Thursday morning Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe agreed, saying regardless of any personal views local members concerns will have to be considered.
"A decision has to be made by our members tonight regarding whether they want such a review to take place. We will listen to what members have to say because we are an organisation based on membership, based on voluntary activity.
"Of course issues and difficulties have arisen in relation to Deputy Bailey.
"I also want to acknowledge that in all the engagements I've had with Deputy Bailey and all the work I've seen her do in Dáil Eireann she has been deeply conscientious and deeply hard-working member of this Dáil, but I know the members want to have a discussion about this tonight and it is up to them to have that discussion.
"A discussion, a decision, has to be made by members first, that is going to be made tonight.
"As I said we are an organisation that is based on voluntary activity, and while I wish some things had happened differently in relation to the issues Deputy Bailey was involved with, I would also acknowledge she was a very hard working and very competent member of Dáil Eireann," Mr Donohoe said.
Speculation over whether Ms Bailey will be removed as a general election Fine Gael candidate has intensified in recent weeks after it emerged local constituency members were considering a ticket change motion.
Asked by the Irish Examiner in Brussels earlier this month if he will commit to campaigning with Ms Bailey in her constituency, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "Whenever the election comes I'll be happy to campaign alongside any candidate who's been selected and ratified for Fine Gael."
