The three youngest Fianna Fáil TDs have issued a statement in which they said senior colleagues expect them to just explain the Government's difficulties amid what they termed their deep concern at the events of recent weeks.
James O'Connor, Ryan O'Meara and Albert Dolan said said it is not the role they want and would not accept it any longer.
Instead, they urged party colleagues to listen more closely, speak more honestly and to act more decisively.
They said that the social contract is "strained to breaking point" and that "it should not require protests and deep community frustration to get a government to listen and act".
"We are deeply worried that the lesson that many of our age will take from recent events is that our politics is not working."
The strident statement comes just a day after the Government lost two TDs after both Michael and Danny Healy-Rae broke ranks with the coalition.
As the fallout from the fuel protests continues, they believe the social contract is strained to breaking point.
The three TDs said Fianna Fáil must get back to bringing the concerns of the community to the Government and finding solutions.
They said this view is shared by their most experienced colleagues.
However, the group of TDs insisted that this intervention is not about challenging any individual or singling out any member of the Government.
Fianna Fail's 3 youngest TDs view recent events with 'real & deep concern'
— Barry Lenihan (@BarryLenihan) April 15, 2026
James O'Connor Albert Dolan & Ryan O'Meara say 'too often we find senior colleagues expect us to just explain their government difficulties...That is not the role we want nor will we accept it any longer' pic.twitter.com/bSjvSgKJCn
Urgent FF parliamentary party meeting requested
An urgent meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party has been requested by senior party figures to discuss how it can restore public trust.
TDs Seán Ó Fearghaíl and Paudie O'Sullivan as well as Senator Anne Rabbitte wrote to party chairperson Brendan Smith tonight seeking the meeting.
It is likely that the party will not meet until next week however.
It follows on today's statement by three young Fianna Fáil TDs which stated that they have deep concerns about the events of recent weeks.
Watch: RTÉ Political Correspondent Mícheál Lehane on internal tensions within Fianna Fáil
'It appears that Fianna Fáil has been badly damaged' - O'Dea
Earlier, Willie O'Dea, Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick city, said that judging from the reaction he is getting from people in his own constituency and beyond, "it appears that Fianna Fáil has been badly damaged by this recent debacle".
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime he said: "I've got a series of emails from people who I helped out and people who have canvassed and voted for me in the past, telling me they'll never vote for me again because I'm representing the wrong party. A party they've totally lost confidence in."
He said the statement by his three colleagues indicated a degree of frustration that has built up in Fianna Fáil "and I think it's mirrored right throughout the organisation".
He said what Mr O'Connor, Mr O'Meara and Mr Dolan are saying is being a democratic political party in these times is not about explaining the Governmen'ts problems to people.
Listen back: Willie O'Dea and Seán Ó Fearghaíl on Fianna Fáil's handling of fuel protests
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"The Government expects us to explain their problems to people, it's about explaining people's problems to the Government and getting the Government to act on them.
"We seem to have lost the one virtue of which every democracy depends, namely the ability to hear anger before it turns into rebellion."
Asked who he was blaming for this, Mr O'Dea said the party leadership must take responsibility.
"In any organisation which is malfunctioning the level of responsibility increases, obviously as you go up the line. So the leadership must take a good chunck of responsibility for the way this has developed."
He said the party must be looked at from top to bottom if it must regain the public's trust.
Former Ceann Comhairle 'very impressed' by statement from FF's three youngest TDs
Mr Ó Fearghaíl, a former ceann comhairle, said he was "very impressed" by the statement made by Fianna Fáil's three youngest TDs criticising their senior colleagues as it "set out the fundamental principles" of which the party was established.
Speaking on the same programme, the Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare South said it highlighted the "objectives that motivated the founding fathers" of the party.
He said the statement made a point of calling attention to a disconnection between the people in leadership and those at the grassroots.
"And more worringly, a disconnection between the party in Government and the parliamentary party.
"They are highlighting something that is a fact of life, a fact of life that has been absolutely driven home to us in emails and letters and telephone calls that we've been receiving from members of Fianna Fáil up and down the length and breadth of the country over the past couple of weeks," he added.
Chief Whip to meet three TDs
Government Chief Whip and Minister of State Mary Butler said she had organised a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting for last Monday morning, which was requested by several people within the parliamentary party amid the fuel protests.
"I organised it between 11 and 1pm on Monday and the meeting finished at 3.15pm. The Taoiseach was there for four hours and 15 minutes," she said.
However, she added that not all of those who looked for the meeting turned up.
She said everybody from the parliamentary party had an opportunity to speak last Monday and there were very few people who were not in a position to make it.
Asked if the three Fianna Fáil TDS - James O'Connor, Ryan O'Meara and Albert Dolan - were at the meeting, Minister Butler said she was not going to discuss who was there and who was not.
"It's nobody's business who attended the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, only mine as the whip of the party," she said.
"And we had a forum on Monday for anybody who wanted to raise any issues that they had in relation to what has happened over the last week.
"My door is always open, the ministers doors are always open, most importantly - the Taoiseach who I would say - is the busiest man in the country, his door is always open as well.
"As he said himself, he is only ever a text or a phone call away or a WhatsApp away," she said.
Minister Butler said her three colleagues who signed the statement are three hardworking TDs.
"Two of them are new TDs for the first time, the other TD, this would be his second term and it has been a difficult situation.
"One of those TDs had a protest outside their office on Monday morning, this has been a difficult time," she said.
Minister Butler said she will read the letter, speak to the Taoiseach and she will then meet with all three TDs.
"There was contact all weekend in relation to the ministers who were part of the negotiation, the Taoiseach was in contact, but it was a fluid situation over the weekend.
"And look, I will always say this we can always do better as a party," she said.
Harris promises personal tax package in Budget 2027
Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has promised his Fine Gael parliamentary party that there will be a personal tax package in the upcoming budget.
Mr Harris said the 2027 Budget will target the squeezed middle.
Speaking about last week's events, the Fine Gael leader said decent people protested and he has spoken to many about their real concerns.
However, Mr Harris also said he will never apologise for standing up for law and order.
