Ahead of a parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, several senior figures in Fianna Fáil have expressed disappointment with the party's performance in the Dáil by-elections to replace MEPs Brian Hayes and Luke Ming Flanagan.
Independent candidate Michael Fitzmaurice won the seat vacated by Mr Flanagan in Roscommon-South Leitrim, despite Fianna Fáil candidate Ivan Connaughton securing the most first preferences.
After transfers, he was more than 2,000 votes behind Mr Fitzmaurice.
Anti Austerity Alliance candidate Paul Murphy secured the Dublin South West seat, with Fianna Fáil candidate John Lahart a distant fifth.
Former minister Éamon Ó Cuív, who lost out to Micheál Martin in the Fianna Fáil leadership contest in 2011, said yesterday was a bad day for the party.
He said Fianna Fáil cannot ignore the results and that he will outline his concerns at Tuesday's meeting.
He said that three-and-a-half years ago the party was fighting against a gale force wind and got 17%, but that now the Government is shooting itself in the foot and Fianna Fáil has made only marginal gains.
Another former Fianna Fáil minister, Willie O'Dea, said he was disappointed with the results, but said the party should not panic.
He said it should focus on a realistic policy platform that will resonate with voters.
Laois-Offaly TD Barry Cowen said he was disappointed with the results in Roscommon.
He said on the positive side, sufficient progress has been made since 2011 to win the seat in the next general election.
Meanwhile, newly elected TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim Michael Fitzmaurice has said water, unemployment, health, immigration of young people and the crisis in the beef industry will be at the top of his agenda in the Dáil.
He said people should not have to pay for bad water and that better use of the Shannon should be looked at for improving water systems and that the Government will have to invest in this improvement.
In relation to turf cutters, Mr Fitzmaurice said that it is up to the Turf Cutters and Contractors Associaton to elect him, or not, at the association's next AGM.
However, he will be supporting turf cutters and their right to cut turf on their land in the future.
He maintained that anyone who has a piece of paper stating a right to their land has the right to cut turf on that land - and that turf cutters in the Midlands are victims of bad EU policy and bad governance here.
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