No polling done by Fianna Fáil on Jim Gavin
According to the much-anticipated review report, no polling was done on Jim Gavin before he was nominated to contest the presidential election for Fianna Fáil.
Research carried out on behalf of the party by Focal Data and organised by Peter MacDonagh, a Fianna Fáil advisor, “showed that no person publicly or privately seeking the nomination up to end of July enjoyed a strong position outside of Party support in the polls.
“Others carried out their own research – we are advised that other polls showed contradictory results, this might arise as it wasn’t possible to do a ballot-paper poll as the list of other candidates was unknown.
“No polling was done on Mr Gavin’s candidacy prior to his nomination,” the report states.
Secretary General admits it was a mistake not to contact Bertie Ahern
The report outlines the steps taken around other candidates other than Mr Gavin who had expressed an interest in running for Fianna Fáil, including former Taoiseach and party leader Bertie Ahern and former minister Mary Hanafin.
The report confirms that Mr Ahern did not receive a definitive response to his request for the Mr Martin’s support (which he made through the General Secretary Dorgan).
“[Mr Ahern] did not put his name forward to the Parliamentary Party. He learned that he wasn’t going to have the support of the leadership from the media,” the report states.
Mr Dorgan confirmed that he did not contact Mr Ahern’s office until on or around the 26th of August, “and fully accepts that he should have made contact with him a week or two sooner and stated that it was not his intention to be discourteous.”
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, the Fianna Fáil MEP, also expressed an interest in putting herself forward as a candidate on condition that she had the support of Mr Martin but did not put herself forward at the convention.
So too did former Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh.
He approached Mr Dorgan in November 2024, and was advised that no decision had been made by the party at that time.
During late August Mr Ó Céidigh was informed that the leadership was tending towards a different candidate. In early September, he considered putting his name forward to the Parliamentary Party, but ultimately decided not to do so.
Cónal Thomas
