FF backbenchers attack MEPs over 'invisible campaign'
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Friday June 13 2008
FIANNA Fail MEPs have come under fire from party colleagues for their "virtually invisible" campaign in favour of the Lisbon Treaty.
While other MEPs such as Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell and Jim Higgins mounted energetic 'Yes' campaigns, and Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald was very prominent for the No vote, Fianna Fail TDs have complained about the lack of action by their own four MEPs.
One backbencher said that while he and his colleagues had been required to submit activity plans every week to party headquarters, there had been no sign of a similar level of effort by Sean O Neachtain (Connacht/Ulster), Brian Crowley (South), Liam Aylward (East) and Eoin Ryan (Dublin).
"They should have been leading from the front. There is a degree of annoyance in the parliamentary party," he said.
"Why should we have to take the flak and the recriminations if it is not passed?"
Another Fianna Fail TD said the party's MEPs had been "virtually invisible" compared to other parties' MEPs despite the forthcoming European elections. "I can't understand why they haven't done more to promote themselves. In any analysis of the campaign, they didn't play a very strong part," he said.
However, all four Fianna Fail MEPS vigorously defended themselves when contacted by the Irish Independent. They said that they had to personally finance their own posters while Fine Gael MEPs, for example, had funds from their European parliament group, the European People's Party.
Fianna Fail South MEP Brian Crowley said he estimated that he and and his colleagues had spent €100,000 on their campaign from their personal funds.
"I started on March 14 in the Mahon Shopping Centre in Cork and we did masses, public meetings and estates," he said.
Fianna Fail Dublin MEP Eoin Ryan said he had personally spent €30,000 on his campaign, including 2,000 posters.
"I've canvassed in every constituency in Dublin and I've done the best I can with the resources I've got," he said.
Fianna Fail East MEP Liam Aylward said he had taken part in public meetings and done "hard grafting" on the ground. "I'm around a long time -- I was 30 years in the Dail -- and I'd say I've never worked as hard in any campaign as this," he said.
Fianna Fail Connacht/Ulster MEP Sean O'Neachtain said the MEPs had done their stint every weekend. "Of course we have to work where our place of work is, in Brussels and Strasbourg. But we have advertised, we have done everything we can do, we are very much forward in this campaign," he said.
- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent
