THE OPPOSITION will attempt to prompt an early general election when the Dáil resumes this week by enforcing stricter pairing arrangements and putting renewed pressure on the Government to hold outstanding byelections.
Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin will also focus on health motions during the new Dáil term, which begins on Wednesday, in an attempt to force rebellious TDs such as Mattie McGrath of Tipperary South and Noel Grealish of Galway West to abstain or vote against the Coalition.
With backbenchers threatening to withdraw support from the Government over health cuts in individual constituencies, putting further pressure on the Government’s slender majority, Chief Whip John Curran yesterday insisted more money for health services was not available.
The first Cabinet member to face Dáil questions will be Minister for Education and Skills Mary Coughlan.
She has cancelled her participation in an Enterprise Ireland “education mission” to the United States because Fine Gael refused to provide cover for her absence in votes, according to a Government spokesman.
Under pairing arrangements, a TD from one party agrees with a TD from an opposing party not to vote in a particular division, giving both deputies the opportunity to be elsewhere. At his party think-in this month, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he had got the imprimatur of his party to refuse pairs for key Dáil votes, except in circumstances where Ministers had to be absent for issues of national importance. Absences due to illness will also continue to be covered.
The Government spokesman described the cancellation as “particularly embarrassing for Enterprise Ireland” as the aim of the trip was to promote Ireland as a study destination for the Irish-American community and deliver “economic messages” to potential investors.
“The Tánaiste’s profile had been used to secure access to and meetings with key influencers in the education sector in Boston and Chicago,” he said. A spokesman for Enterprise Ireland expressed disappointment but said the organisation was grateful to the secretary general at the Department of Education, Brigid McManus, who will take Ms Coughlan’s place.
Fine Gael spokesman on the environment Phil Hogan confirmed his party would move the writs for the three outstanding byelections on Wednesday. “It is clear that the Government is unravelling. We need an immediate general election . . . we need to get our country working again,” he said.
The Government can count on the votes of 79 TDs while the Opposition is sure of 75. The voting intentions of eight others, including Mr McGrath and Mr Grealish, are more difficult to predict. Mr McGrath said his support would depend on the retention of acute services at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel.
He lost the Fianna Fáil whip for voting against the law to ban stag hunting in June.
Mr Grealish announced on Friday he would not support the Coalition until such time as health budget cuts in the west were clarified.
The others are Dr Jim McDaid of Donegal North West, who is without the Fianna Fáil whip, and five Independents: Michael Lowry of Tipperary North, Jackie Healy-Rae of Kerry South, Joe Behan of Wicklow, Finian McGrath of Dublin North Central and Maureen O’Sullivan of Dublin Central.
Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche last night warned previously-loyal backbenchers who were considering engaging in what he described as "local bargaining" they risked inflicting further damage on the State. "There is no doubt about it we have difficulties. There is no doubt about it at all, but when you look at people who supported the Government coming on and saying: 'well the cost of my support is X' . . . my belief is that the most important thing is not their individual skin – it is the nation," Mr Roche told The Week in Politicsprogramme on RTÉ 1.
