Maria Bailey’s own Fine Gael constituency members have paved the way for the Dun Laoghaire TD to be officially removed from the party’s election ticket.
During a tense private meeting in the Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire on Thursday night, party members voted for an ‘urgent review’ of Fine Gael's general election candidates.
Although not officially named in the motion, it was all about Ms Bailey.
Her colleagues argued that the controversy she had caused over her dodgy insurance claim would damage the party in her own constituency in the upcoming general election.
Others spoke in support of the increasingly sidelined TD.
Ms Bailey failed in a claim against the Dean Hotel in Dublin earlier this year where she was trying to claim damages for falling from a swing in Sophies Bar.
The motion passed was for Fine Gael to urgently review the party's ticket for the election.
Ms Bailey is one of three candidates already picked and was present at last night’s meeting. On her departure she refused to comment on what she called ‘internal matters.’
It is widely expected that Fine Gael top brass will now act on the motion passed and remove Ms Bailey as a Fine Gael runner in the general election.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday this week that he would always respect the democratic decision of a local organisation.
