Crowley defection yet another blow to Martin’s leadership

Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central and Vice Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affaris, Dara Murphy, today (Monday), described Brian Crowley’s defection to the European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) group as yet another blow to Micheál Martin’s leadership.

“Yet again we have seen a Fianna Fáil public representative ignore Micheál Martin’s wishes. Brian Crowley clearly believes himself above Micheál Martin’s authority as he has left the ALDE group in the European Parliament and joined the ECR group.

“Brian Crowley is Fianna Fáil’s only MEP, but despite his leader’s wish that he stays put with ALDE, Brian Crowley has opted out and instead joined the euro-sceptic ECR group.

“It must be worrying for Micheál Martin that the party’s only European representative is pursuing an agenda at odds with the party. Crowley’s move also goes against Fianna Fáil’s pledge in its European Election Manifesto to be a member party of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).

“Micheál Martin needs to state whether he supports Brian Crowleys move to a far right, euro sceptic group, and he also needs to address the pressing issue of his leadership.

“Only last month, in the run up to the local election, we saw Mary Hanafin completely disregard Micheál Martin’s wishes by running in Blackrock, and in recent days the Fianna Fáil leader has been weakened by his failure to discipline Deputy Niall Collins for interfering in the sentencing of a criminal case.  

“Strong party leadership is essential to well-run local government, to an effective national parliament and to efficiently doing business on a European level. It is clear that Micheál Martin has lost control of his party at a local level, at a national level and at a European level.”