Fianna Fáil has ‘real problems’ in ‘some constituencies’, Taoiseach admits

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

Fianna Fáil has “real problems” with “some constituencies”, the Taoiseach has said.

The party lost its deposit over Dublin Central candidate John Stephens, who was excluded from the race after count two.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told reporters this was a “poor result”.

However, he said it was “on a par” with the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, where the party went on to retain a seat in the constituency in the 2024 general election.

He said: “It is a poor result, no question about that.”

He said the party had “difficulties in that particular constituency”.

In Galway West, Fianna Fáil’s candidate Cillian Keane had 8.9% of first preferences according to an unofficial tally.

Speaking at Galway Lawn Tennis Club, he said the party will “examine” and “reflect” on the by-election results, adding: “We would have preferred a higher percentage outcome.”

He added: “We’ll reflect on this election as well, we’ll do our homework and we always want to do better, and that’s our focus.”

Martin said it was a well-known pattern that by-elections do not correlate with general elections, adding that candidates can be shown to perform better in subsequent contests.

He pointed to the cost-of-living crisis arising out of the war in the Middle East as an influence on the result.

In Galway West, he said difficulties in delivering key infrastructure had been a key issue for people on doorsteps.

He said the frontrunners in that constituency – Fine Gael’s Sean Kyne and Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas, formerly of Fianna Fáil – had gained profile in the previous general election.

In Dublin Central, Fianna Fáil Minister Darragh O’Brien said Stephens ran a “very positive campaign” as a first-time Dáil candidate, adding: “It’s obviously a difficult constituency for us – it’s one of only three in the country that we didn’t win in the last general election.

“We were coming from a low base. There is hope in the future here.”

As the party’s director of elections, O’Brien said he would not “sugarcoat” it and admitted Fianna Fáil was “disappointed” with the result.

Asked in the Dublin Central count centre if Martin’s leadership was in question, O’Brien said it was “absolutely not”.

Asked if he thought former party leader Bertie Ahern’s comments on immigration during the campaign were an influence, Stephens said he did not believe so.