Fianna Fáil is losing its identity in Government, backbench TD Jackie Cahill has complained.
For generations the party was the most successful in Europe, winning election after election.
Now it usually polls in the mid to high teens - a state of affairs that has led to anxiety and unhappiness among TDs who fear they will lose their seats at the next election.
“A party like us in a three party Government, it’s most definitely hard to keep your identity,” Deputy Cahill told Newstalk.
“We need to stamp our identity on this Government, we need to ensure that when we go to the polls in two and a half years time, people will say, ‘Yes, Fianna Fáil achieved this in Government.’
“So we need to do that. We all know that the polls have been very bad for us over the last number of months.”
Fianna Fáil's Jackie Cahill arriving at Leinster House. RollingNews.ieBackbench unhapiness
Several backbenches have called for a mid-term policy review and made suggestions about how to tackle the cost of living crisis - such as increasing the state pension by €15.
"I wouldn't say there's discontent," Deputy Cahill continued.
"But we're in a completely different place economically to what were two years ago and the war in Ukraine has changed the economic landscape completely.
"I think we need to revisit what are our priorities as of now, as against two years ago."
The Times reports that Taoiseach Micheál Martin was “shocked” to learn that a large number of his colleagues met for an informal meeting without him while he was in Kyiv last week.
“It’s about sending a signal to the leadership that we are not happy, it’s not about leadership,” one source told the newspaper.
There has been speculation that Mr Martin would resign as President of Fianna Fáil later this year when he is due to swap jobs with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar; he, however, has made clear that he intends to lead his party into the next election.
Main image: Ryan, Varadkar and Martin. Picture by: RollingNews.ie
