A FINE Gael backbencher says he is opposed to the return of former strategist Frank Flannery to the party fold.

Kildare TD Anthony Lawlor said Mr Flannery still has questions to answer on his involvement with the Rehab Group and that a return to Fine Gael would "divert attention" away from the work of the government.

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"I'm saying at the moment, I wouldn't be exactly be overly happy with the fact that Frank Flannery is coming back in because it will divert attention away from what the government is doing at the moment on the economic front," Mr Lawlor said.

As revealed by Independent.ie, Taoiseach Enda Kenny held talks with Mr Flannery last week.

The pair met for an hour and a half in the Cellar Bar of the Merrion Hotel, across from Government Buildings last Friday.

Mr Flannery resigned as Fine Gael’s director of elections and trustee last March following controversy over his role as a board member with the Rehab Group.

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Mr Flannery is now expected to return to a senior role on the party’s election preparations committee.

The meeting came after Mr Kenny described Mr Flannery as a “friend” and said he would be happy to meet him

But speaking at the Young Scientist Exhibition in the RDS, Mr Lawlor said he has "concerns" about the prospect of Mr Flannery being handed a role.

"The last thing we need is a diversion from the simple message we have to send to the public," he said.

"Frank Flannery has been very good to Fine Gael in the past. There has been certain issues surrounding his liaison with the Rehab Group, I'd have still concerns about that. He needs to answer questions about that. From our perspective in Fine Gael, I believe we have good quality people within the party itself who will be able to direct us for the next general election."

Mr Lawlor's comments are in stark contrast to those made by another party backbencher, Galway West TD Brian Walsh, who welcomed the prospect of a return.

Mr Walsh said the John McNulty Seanad cronyism debacle wouldn't have happened if former party strategist Frank Flannery had been involved at the time.

"I would I think he is a proven strategist. I think he has delivered in the last," he said on the Keith Finnegan Show on Galway Bay FM.

"I think he would be a huge asset to the party going into an election," he added.

Mr Walsh said Mr Flannery's skills were missed during the Seanad nomination saga.

Fine Gael crony John McNulty was put on the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and was then nominated to the Seanad.

But he had to withdraw his nomination after a furore over his appointment to the State board, which was initiated by Fine Gael officials.

"This would not have happened had Frank Flannery been in place," Mr Walsh said.

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