Fianna Fáil Euro candidate Niall Blaney angrily criticises party leader at campaign launch

Party leader Micheál Martin was left struggling to control proceedings after candidate Niall Blaney complained that he was being left high and dry.

He accused the Tánaiste of not canvassing with him when he had with others on the ticket.

Mr Martin insisted that it was the right decision to run three candidates in Midlands-North West - Senator Blaney, Mayo-based senator Lisa Chambers and Laois-Offaly TD Barry Cowen.

He insisted the party was "in the mix for two seats" in a constituency where it currently holds none.

Mr Cowen has a lead within polling, followed by Mr Blaney. Mr Blaney finished a close second to Mr Cowen at the selection convention and the party later added he and Ms Chambers to the ticket.

Shortly before the FF launch at the Radisson Blu Hotel in central Dublin, Donegal-based Mr Blaney released an angry press release.

“Our party seems to be in panic mode and, after bizarrely adding [sic] three candidates to the ticket, now seems intent on throwing two of them overboard and settling for one seat," he said.

This would mean "giving up on representation for Connacht and the border counties", he warned. “Fianna Fáil is running six Euro candidates in three constituencies. Five of them have gotten a fair share of national television exposure. I’ve been requesting it for the last six weeks and haven’t been given one opportunity,” Mr Blaney said. "I had a reasonable expectation of being on the Katie Hannon show, only to be told that the party had taken me off and nominated another candidate."

Mr Blaney continued his criticisms as he stood by his party leader, saying the Tánaiste had not canvassed with him, while he had with others. Mr Martin told the media he was not going to discuss the "logistics" of the election campaign.

Mr Blaney said at the launch: "Unfortunately, I'm not getting the same support as other candidates are getting in this campaign. And that's a problem for me. It’s been four weeks. "I've never had any opportunity on national television yet, and I'm the only candidate of six where that has been the case.

"It's not just about me, it's about the people I represent and the border counties. We need the same opportunity as anybody else.

"If the Tánaiste goes for a canvass with a candidate, he has to do a canvass with all three. And if he does a video with one candidate, he has to do a video with all three. I ask him for equal opportunity and support."

Mr Martin was asked if he would you agree with the comments, but tried to take an RTÉ question instead - which was also to query his reaction to Senator Blaney's complaints.

He said: "I will deal with the campaign and I will conduct the campaign.

"We will deal with how the campaign gets conducted after the press conference. I'm not going to have a public discussion on the logistics of the campaign.

"But there’s huge support for all candidates from the party."

Green launch

The earlier Green Party Euro election launch at Buswell's Hotel in Dublin had its own problems.

Minister of state Ossian Smyth, chairing, twice referred to his MEP colleague sitting alongside as Pauline O'Reilly, a Green Party Senator - and had to be told it was Grace O'Sullivan, the candidate in Ireland South and a sitting member of the European Parliament.

This bizarre moment was followed by another as Ms O'Sulllivan said: "We absolutely condone the Hamas attack on Israel as an act of terrorism." Mr Smyth had to tell her she meant condemn, not condone.