Marc MacSharry’s readmission to Fianna Fáil is “on hold” due to an “issue that has arisen”, a parliamentary party meeting has been told.
It had been widely expected that the Sligo-Leitrim TD would be readmitted to Fianna Fáil on Wednesday evening just a year after quitting the party.
He resigned the whip in September 2021 just hours before the Government was forced to vote on a motion of confidence in Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney over Simon Coveney’s handling of Katherine Zappone’s botched special envoy appointment.
Following calls from some quarters of the parliamentary party to readmit Mr MacSharry, chief whip Jack Chambers was expected to bring a motion to Wednesday evening’s meeting that would pave the way for his return.
However, sources told the Irish Mirror that the party whip told the meeting that “an issue has arisen”.
“His readmittance is on hold," sources said.
Another source said that Minister Chambers told the party that he had spoken with Deputy MacSharry this evening.
It is understood he was told his re-admission will be examined next week.
Sources told The Mirror that Mr Chambers told the meeting that it would not be appropriate to elaborate on this issue.
There had been apprehension in some quarters about Mr MacSharry’s readmittance, with Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue previously speaking out about the issue at a meeting two weeks ago.
The idea of allowing Mr MacSharry back into the party was first proposed by Laois-Offaly TD Barry Cowen three weeks ago.
Several Fianna Fáil TDs were unhappy with the delay, expressing anger at how the news was delivered.
One TD said that Taoiseach Micheál Martin had avoided delivering the news himself as he knew it would be unpopular with some members of the party.
Others said that the party had made a “mistake” by trying to block Mr MacSharry’s readmittance.
Some Fianna Fáil members were unhappy with the “language” Mr Chambers used.
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