Éamon Ó Cuív has rubbished suggestions that he ever threatened to resign his post as Fianna Fáil deputy leader over the party’s stance on the presidential election.
On Tuesday, Fianna Fáil TDs and senators voted not to nominate or endorse any candidate for the presidency.
Throughout last weekend there had been intense speculation that a serious rift was developing between party leader Micheál Martin and deputy leader and Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív over the party’s approach to the campaign.
There had been claims that he threatened to resign as deputy leader over the issue, but Dep Ó Cuív told the Galway Advertiser that such reports “are inaccurate” and he “cannot comment” on them.
Asked if he was disappointed the party would not be fielding a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, Dep Ó Cuív said he and Dep Martin had “always agreed” on this position. “We took a decision two weeks ago not to run a candidate,” he said.
Dep Ó Cuív said he had originally felt the party should run for the office and that he “would have been happy” to have seen Munster MEP Brian Crowley as a candidate, but since the August 31 decision not to run or endorse any candidate, he was supportive of that.
