Labour TD Alan Kelly has expressed “regret” to party colleagues if his intervention on the presidential election earlier this week caused “confusion or concern”.
Mr Kelly is understood to have sent a private message to Labour Party TDs and Senators on Thursday evening in which he sought to address what he described as “the elephant in the room”.
On Wednesday, the former party leader launched a broadside against the party and Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly on Tipp FM. It is understood he told colleagues that he had a long discussion with Labour leader Ivana Bacik to “clear the air”.
While he did not resile from his views, and indeed argued he had made his position clear privately to his party colleagues many times, he nonetheless told the parliamentary party that he regretted if there was confusion or concern arising from his interview regarding the Labour position on the presidential election.
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He said he respected the decision of the party without agreeing with it.
In the interview on the local radio station, Mr Kelly said: “I’m not sure what Catherine Connolly did to deserve our support ... I respect everybody’s views in the party, but I was against this.”
Mr Kelly was critical of Ms Connolly’s views on international relations, mentioning Syria, Russia and the EU, as well as her association with former Independent TD and MEP Mick Wallace.
He was particularly critical of the party’s decision in light of Ms Connolly’s criticisms of Labour’s time in government, after which she said the party had lost its soul.
“I think the party has to have some self-respect. Catherine Connolly has shown disdain for us since 2006,” he said.
He also criticised Ms Connolly’s indicated support for Gemma O’Doherty when she was seeking nominations to run for the presidency in 2018, especially in light of views Ms O’Doherty expressed about vaccines at the time.
At the time she felt Ms O’Doherty was a “better option” than Michael D Higgins, who has been an “exceptional” president, Mr Kelly said.
The Tipperary North TD told colleagues that he was looking forward to welcoming them to Nenagh for the Labour Party think-in next week, which will be held at the Abbey Court hotel – reminding them that they will be visiting the home of the All-Ireland hurling champions when they come to his constituency.
Privately, Labour Party sources had expressed concern in the wake of his radio interview about the optics of Mr Kelly hosting the event in Nenagh, which would usually involve the local TD sharing the limelight of media engagements with the party leader.
