Limerick Blogger brings us the background to a minor skirmish in Fianna Fáil in Limerick.

The whole thing kicked off this week when Limerick County Councillor, Noreen Ryan, wrote to the Taoiseach Brian Cowan calling for him to sack Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea.

The call comes after it emerged this week after it emerged that the Defence Minister, during his tennure as Junior Minister for Justice, facilitated representations on behalf of 29 prisoners, including a murder suspect and a number of drug dealers.  In all, O’Dea was reported to have made representations on behalf of 29 prisoners.  He himself says he was simply relaying requests from the families of the prisoners.

Willie O’Dea says that Cllr Ryan has not been a very busy councillor (’inactivity’ is quoted in story) and the whole thing is a smokescreen.

Stay tuned to Limerick Blogger for more skirmishes between now and next June regarding the fight (handbags, tiaras and high heels) for council seats in the local election.