Power Outage

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Senator Averil Power announcing her resignation from Fianna Fail today

 

Last weekend we witnessed politics at its finest.

In the marriage equality campaign, we saw what can be achieved when people dare to believe progress is possible and work together to make it happen.

We saw that bravery, vision and leadership can win people’s hearts and help deliver major social change.

And we saw that politics can make a real difference to people’s lives.

I’m not in politics for the sake of it.

I ran for election in 2011 because I wanted to make a difference.

I believed our country needed a strong opposition to hold the Government to account.

I wanted to champion issues I care about such as education and social justice.

And I thought Fianna Fáil would learn from its mistakes and work hard to rebuild the trust of the Irish people by showing it had changed for the better.

Over the past four years, I have tried hard to help deliver that change.

However, I have repeatedly been rebuffed by my own party.

When I called publicly for Bertie Ahern to be expelled from Fianna Fáil in 2011, I was reprimanded by the party leader. It would be another year before he was prepared to recommend that course of action.

The strategy I was asked to develop on improving female participation in the party has largely been ignored.

And I have become increasingly uncomfortable in a parliamentary party that is out of touch with the needs and concerns of ordinary people.

I stuck with it because, despite everything, I still believed I could help deliver change from within. I was encouraged by the support of like-minded members. And I thought things would improve over time.

They haven’t and I no longer believe they will.

The party’s cynical and cowardly approach to the marriage equality referendum was the last straw.

For me, a referendum on equality went to the core of what real republicanism should be about. Our members knew that when they voted for a motion calling for the party to support marriage equality at the 2012 Ard Fheis.

Despite this, the vast majority of the party’s public representatives refused to campaign for it. In fact, I was the only TD or Senator who did a proper canvass for the referendum in their constituency.

Some Fianna Fáil representatives declared publicly that they were voting No. Worse still, others told me they would be voting Yes but were afraid of campaigning for it in case they would lose votes.

Fianna Fáil’s overall approach to the referendum symbolized everything that is wrong with the party.

Fianna Fáil lacks vision, courage and leadership.

It doesn’t know what it stands for and lacks credible policies on most major issues.

It is afraid of taking clear positions in key debates for fear of losing support.

And Micheál Martin has become a leader without any followers. His frontbench are all pulling in different directions and prioritising their personal political success over the needs of the party and the country.

Having lost my faith in Fianna Fáil, I cannot in good conscience knock on doors in Dublin Bay North and ask people to vote for the party. In my view, they are simply not fit for government.

I know I would have a strong chance of being elected for Fianna Fáil in the next election. But I have come to the conclusion that I don’t want to be a Fianna Fáil TD. I want to be true to myself and have the courage to walk away from the party.

I am therefore resigning from Fianna Fáil, effective immediately.

I am doing so with a heavy heart as I have many good friends in the party. I am also immensely grateful to everybody who has supported me over the last few years.

It was not an easy decision to make but I am convinced it is the right thing to do.

I intend to serve out my term in the Seanad as an Independent Senator.

I feel I have made a strong contribution there and would like to continue to do so.

The day my Adoption Information Bill passed the Seanad with unanimous support is one of the proudest days of my life. I was delighted to secure the support of the Seanad, and later the Dáil, for the motion I initiated calling for Ireland to formally recognise the State of Palestine. I have also enjoyed working with members of all parties and none on issues like education, health and mental health.

I look forward to continuing this work and also taking other initiatives to help address the struggles people are facing in their daily lives.

I have not made any decision yet about whether I will run in the Dáil election or not. I will discuss that with my supporters over the next few weeks.

Today’s decision was a big enough one for now. But I know I have done the right thing.

Senator Averil Power announcing her resignation from Fianna Fáil this afternoon.

(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

UPDATE:

Meanwhile, in Cork…

And in University College Dublin’s Ógra Fianna Fáil…

Related: UCD political societies united on marriage equality (College Tribune)

Pic: Mary Minihan

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60 thoughts on “Power Outage

  1. Der

    I wish her well, she was FF’s only credible support for MarRef and half of their Female representation. After the win in the by-election this will pull the leadership back into question I reckon.

    1. Mister Mister

      And Martin was just enjoying being on cloud 9 after the weekend, Down to earth with a right kick to the nuts.

  2. Rachel M

    Well done Averil!

    Full Speech Here:

    Last weekend we witnessed politics at its finest.

    In the marriage equality campaign, we saw what can be achieved when people dare to believe progress is possible and work together to make it happen.

    We saw that bravery, vision and leadership can win people’s hearts and help deliver major social change.

    And we saw that politics can make a real difference to people’s lives.

    I’m not in politics for the sake of it.

    I ran for election in 2011 because I wanted to make a difference.

    I believed our country needed a strong opposition to hold the Government to account.

    I wanted to champion issues I care about such as education and social justice.

    And I thought Fianna Fáil would learn from its mistakes and work hard to rebuild the trust of the Irish people by showing it had changed for the better.

    Over the past four years, I have tried hard to help deliver that change.

    However, I have repeatedly been rebuffed by my own party.

    When I called publicly for Bertie Ahern to be expelled from Fianna Fáil in 2011, I was reprimanded by the party leader. It would be another year before he was prepared to recommend that course of action.

    The strategy I was asked to develop on improving female participation in the party has largely been ignored.

    And I have become increasingly uncomfortable in a parliamentary party that is out of touch with the needs and concerns of ordinary people.

    I stuck with it because, despite everything, I still believed I could help deliver change from within. I was encouraged by the support of like-minded members. And I thought things would improve over time.

    They haven’t and I no longer believe they will.

    The party’s cynical and cowardly approach to the marriage equality referendum was the last straw.

    For me, a referendum on equality went to the core of what real republicanism should be about. Our members knew that when they voted for a motion calling for the party to support marriage equality at the 2012 Ard Fheis.

    Despite this, the vast majority of the party’s public representatives refused to campaign for it. In fact, I was the only TD or Senator who did a proper canvass for the referendum in their constituency.

    Some Fianna Fáil representatives declared publicly that they were voting No. Worse still, others told me they would be voting Yes but were afraid of campaigning for it in case they would lose votes.

    Fianna Fáil’s overall approach to the referendum symbolized everything that is wrong with the party.

    Fianna Fáil lacks vision, courage and leadership.

    It doesn’t know what it stands for and lacks credible policies on most major issues.
    It is afraid of taking clear positions in key debates for fear of losing support.
    And Micheál Martin has become a leader without any followers. His frontbench are all pulling in different directions and prioritising their personal political success over the needs of the party and the country.
    Having lost my faith in Fianna Fáil, I cannot in good conscience knock on doors in Dublin Bay North and ask people to vote for the party. In my view, they are simply not fit for government.

    I know I would have a strong chance of being elected for Fianna Fáil in the next election. But I have come to the conclusion that I don’t want to be a Fianna Fáil TD. I want to be true to myself and have the courage to walk away from the party.

    I am therefore resigning from Fianna Fáil, effective immediately.

    I am doing so with a heavy heart as I have many good friends in the party. I am also immensely grateful to everybody who has supported me over the last few years.

    It was not an easy decision to make but I am convinced it is the right thing to do.

    I intend to serve out my term in the Seanad as an Independent Senator.

    I feel I have made a strong contribution there and would like to continue to do so.

    The day my Adoption Information Bill passed the Seanad with unanimous support is one of the proudest days of my life. I was delighted to secure the support of the Seanad, and later the Dáil, for the motion I initiated calling for Ireland to formally recognise the State of Palestine. I have also enjoyed working with members of all parties and none on issues like education, health and mental health.

    I look forward to continuing this work and also taking other initiatives to help address the struggles people are facing in their daily lives.

    I have not made any decision yet about whether I will run in the Dáil election or not. I will discuss that with my supporters over the next few weeks.

    Today’s decision was a big enough one for now. But I know I have done the right thing.

  3. Spaghetti Hoop

    Very good on TV panel debates and has a lot of conviction. Glad she’s not leaving politics. She can do more good as an Independent…Senator/TD whatever.

  4. figleaf

    I have also been incredibly impressed by her. She would actually get my vote regardless of what party she was with, now that she’s an independent even better.

  5. Clampers Outside!

    FF are the cosiest of all parties to the Catholic Church with many TDs in FF refusing to let it be known which way they were going to vote on #marref.

    Good riddance to them…. if Averil tears ’em a new one, what harm.

    1. gallantman

      What did she think FF were all about?? Criticising a leopard for being too spotty.

  6. Martin Heavy-Guy

    So glad that someone pointed out the obnoxious and frankly insulting ambivalence of FF during the Marriage Equality campaign. A shocking number of TDs and senators refused to commit publicly to a yes vote, and as Ms Power says, the party that were responsible for the economic collapse of the country do not vie for equality even within their own ranks.

    Great move and a tremendous speech.

  7. gallantman

    She was surprised to discover that FF is full of self-serving, cute-hoor, conservatives then.

  8. PhilJo

    I knew I liked her… heard her on Moncrieff prior to the last FF Ard Fheis and she was defending a vision of FF that hasn’t existed since the 60’s, I hope she remains in politics, we could do with a few more politicians who believe in something.

    1. GiGi

      Are you kidding me? Claire Underwood is a million times more attractive. She’s as plain as dishwater and burns my brain when I hear her talk. Good riddance.

      1. Tony

        Yeah. They changed the picture. The one that was there originally bore a striking resemblance to Claire Underwood. The current one doesn’t.

  9. Eamonn Clancy

    There’s an aching gap for a party for Fenian voters that sits between FF and SF.

      1. Clampers Outside!

        The Doo-Doo Party – ‘we get sh*t done’

        …communications by yer man that wrote the book about doing a sh*t, and doing it properly

        Less of this: >_<

        More of this: :0)

  10. Randy Ewing

    Good on you Averil !

    Martin is a fool of the highest order, a charisma free zone and no doubt as smooth as a Ken doll going my his public statements.

    Vainly taking pot shots a SF in order to stay the biggest ‘republican’ party in the state.

    FF should have swept the boards of all of the old guard in 2011 to have any sort of credibility.

  11. John

    she was fairly impressive on RTE on saturday and makes many valid points here. i presume she’ll go to labour, although that wont help her get elected!

      1. Lilly

        No Joe, I think you’ll find I’m right although he spells his name Sheahan. Either way, birds of a feather… I wouldn’t trust her.

  12. GiGi

    To be honest she’s just feathering her own nest when she looks at her constituency.
    She’s a politician and strategy is the name if the game.
    Who is she married to? Remind me please.

  13. francis almond

    a vile opportunist. general election around the corner and sees the perfect moment to jump the toxic ship of FF. A very dangerous woman

  14. Wayne Carr

    If she stays out of FF I’ll have respect for her. If she jumps back on board once Martin goes, then she’s just another cynical, careerist politician. Let’s wait and see!

  15. Truth in the News

    Will she fill the position of the Independents “Independent,” given that she is
    the wife of Editor of the Irish Independent Fionnan Sheehan, did’nt notice
    her raising any questions on Sitesev in the Senate, her distain with FF and
    their stance on same sex marriage only reveals the division’s between an urban
    and rural political support base, the support base in the urban sector particulary
    in the greater Dublin area for FF is gone, they were not going to alienate their
    rural grassrooths, its all they have left, and when it comes selecting a candidate in Dublin Bay N, it will be Haughey first….on another issue
    The Yes side canvassed support on the basis of “equality” it seems strange
    that they never extended it in voting for electoral equality, in other words
    that 18 year old could elect a president from 21 years upwards, lip service
    to equality ….reality check needed here too….social revolution how are you.

    1. Ppads

      FF most obviously ran with the hare and chased with the hound on SSM. Averil is 100% correct in her criticisms and is one of the few politicians who has consistently stood by her beliefs. She is entitled to be married to whoever she wants btw, just like the rest of us now.

      The Yes side canvassed on the single issue of SSM and showed what is possible when everyone pulls together, including Averil. There was enough deliberate confiscation going on from the No campaign without connecting it to an issue which was clearly not going pass. The young vote was mobilised in record numbers and THEY decided 21 was too young.

  16. Truth in the News

    Well whats the age treshold for SSM or SS Sex is for over 35’s only….?
    strange that 21 is too young to elect a head of state, yet you can marry
    at 18……one wonders, why did the Yes side concentrate on just the one
    issue since they based their campaign on “equality”
    Were Averil Power not the partner of editor of a newspaper she would not
    be even noticed, and that is the main reason for media frenzy yesterday.

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