AFTER months of internal wrangling locally Fianna Fáil put on a united front when it announced that its three outgoing Oireachtas Members in Donegal North East will contest the next General Election.
The decision is expected to help ease tensions between the local Fianna Fail organisation and party headquarters over the strategy to be adopted following the merger with Independent Fianna Fail.
The local Dáil Ceanntair had written to headquarters warning that unless Jimmy McDaid, Cecilia Keaveney and Niall Blaney were selected to contest the election, there would be a boycott of all future amalgamation meetings. A series of those were planned across the constituency for last night (Thursday).
On Wednesday, the National Constituencies Committee of Fianna Fail formally selected Niall Blaney TD, Cecilia Keaveney TD and Dr Jim McDaid TD.
Commenting on the announcement, An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that Niall Blaney had been extremely active in promoting the interests of Donegal and of Fianna Fáil since joining the party.
"In July, I welcomed the amalgamation of Fianna Fáil and Independent Fianna Fáil as providing an exciting, new dynamism to politics in Donegal, as well as strengthening the Fianna Fáil Party, locally and nationally. The process of amalgamation has been going very well," An Taoiseach said.
On Tuesday evening Deputy Blaney sought a meeting with Mr Ahern during which he said that, in his view, the best way to maximise the Fianna Fáil vote in next year's general election would be to run the three outgoing TDs in the constituency.
"I undertook to consider this matter overnight. I am aware that Cecilia Keaveney, Dr Jim McDaid and the Donegal North East organisation are in agreement with this.
"Having reflected on this, I asked the National Constituencies Committee to consider the matter further. The Committee decided that the Party shall run the three outgoing deputies - with the aim of maximising the Party's vote in Donegal North East next year.
"On Thursday of this week, the Party will finalise the integration of the two political organisations, Fianna Fáil and Independent Fianna Fáil in Milford and Letterkenny. This work will be completed in Inishowen next week. I look forward to the full support and co-operation of members of both organisations with this important work. This integration will allow us to organise ourselves to better represent the interests of the people of Donegal North East," the Taoiseach said.
The Chairman of Fianna Fail's Dáil Ceanntair in Donegal North East welcomed the decision by party headquarters to back their call for a three candidate strategy in next year's general election.
Mr Hughie McDaid had called on the three candidate strategy to be approved 'in the interests of unity and the Fianna Fail organisation'.
At a meeting of up to 200 delegates in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny, on Sunday night there was a proposal from the floor that the three sitting TDs, James McDaid, Cecilia Keaveney and Niall Blaney would run without a selection convention and this was unanimously agreed.
Up to 40 cumann meetings were planned for last night with a view to registering new members from Independent Fianna Fail and to elect new officer boards.
The election of new branch officers at the meetings is supposed to allow delegates for a selection convention to be chosen.
