Taoiseach Micheál Martin will not put down a motion of confidence in his leadership of Fianna Fáil and says the controversy over the party’s disastrous presidential election has “dragged on too long”. There was no public record to confirm such a dispute and only “the primary sources” could provide that information, Mr Martin said. “Jim Gavin was adamant on the issue.”However, he insisted that “Jim Gavin came to the table with significant strengths.”Mr Martin said polling had been done on potential candidates. Mr Martin disputed the timeline for the declaration of interest by MEP Billy Kelleher in running. There had not been any indication of such interest in a WhatsApp message from Mr Kelleher on August 14th, Mr Martin said.

Source: The Irish Times December 17, 2025 18:05 UTC