Micheál Martin should resign after the Government “failed the protesters” and all those struggling with the cost of living, TD John McGuinness has said. 

The Carlow-Kilkenny representative has long been a vocal critic of Mr Martin’s leadership. 

However, other backbench TDs have recently joined him in expressing their concerns about the direction of Fianna Fáil and the coalition Government. 

Yesterday, Fianna Fáil’s three youngest TDs published an open letter in which they said they were “deeply worried” about the disconnect between TDs and their constituents. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Deputy McGuinness said the trio’s views “reflected” the view of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party and its grassroot members. 

“We should now as a party act on it, have a meeting and discuss what has happened over the last few weeks in the context of the protests,” he said. 

“It means that we need to look at the policies and how we presented ourselves. 

“We failed the public, we failed the protesters and the language used to describe them as far left and far right was simply not acceptable.” 

Micheál Martin and Simon Harris. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell /RollingNews.ie.

Deputy McGuinness added that met with many of the protestors and found many of them were simply people “whose backs are to the wall”. 

Despite this, he claimed that backbench TDs have few opportunities to communicate the concerns of their constituents under the Taoiseach’s “centralised” Government. 

“Since the leadership of Mícheál Martin started in 2011, we've had a growing centralised administration where decisions are taken and then where the parliamentary party is told about those decisions,” he complained. 

“That is not the way democracy works and it's not the way a party should work.”

Fuel protestors. Picture by: RollingNews.ie

On Sunday, the Government announced a €500 million package of measures to cut the cost of fuel and introduced a scheme relief scheme for hauliers. 

However, Deputy McGuinness believes the Government still has not gone far enough to address people’s concerns. 

“The direction of the Government has not been dealt with,” he argued. 

“So, the finger of blame, if you like, is pointed fairly and squarely at the Cabinet and those that represented the Cabinet in public discourse did not do so in a way that recognised the legitimate efforts of people at a local level to get their point across.”

For Deputy McGuinness, such change can only come with a new Taoiseach and a new Fianna Fáil leader, who will return the party to its traditional roots. 

“We need new leadership, quite frankly, and we need a new direction focused on the social issues of our day and based on the old values of the Fianna Fáil party,” he said. 

“Which essentially means you listen to the people, you examine their issues and you then try to assist them by way of maybe the budget or some other measures that will support them.

“But you don't leave marginalised and older people cold in their homes because of the cost of heating oil. That would not have happened in the past.”

Main image: Micheál Martin speaking outside Government Buildings. Picture by: Alan Rowlette/RollingNews.