Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said it is his understanding that three TDs linked to Independent Ministers would support the Government on more than a “case by case basis”.
The Taoiseach was responding to a report in The Irish Times that figures at a senior level in Government were questioning the size of their majority after letters from three TDs during the Dáil speaking rights row suggested they could not be considered Government backbenchers.
“That’s not our understanding,” Mr Martin said in response to a question about the suggestion that the support was on a case-by-case basis. “The votes so far have been quite strong in favour of the Government, which I think is positive.
“My objective has been to create a government that can go five years. I believe governments that last five years give stability. We want five budgets.
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“I believe there’s a genuine desire among Independents to enable it, to facilitate that. And we intend to work constructively with all Independents, but particularly those Independents in the Regional Independent Group who gave a commitment to support the Government.”
Two of the three – Dublin Bay North’s Barry Heneghan and Meath East’s Gillian Toole – were part of the Regional Independent Group led by Michael Lowry, while a third, Kerry’s Danny Healy-Rae, negotiated alongside his brother Michael Healy-Rae, who became a junior Minister in the Coalition Government.
Mr Lowry also wrote to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, saying he could not be considered a Government backbencher, although he did not say his vote was on a case-by-case basis.
Ms Murphy, who was herself part of the negotiating bloc under Mr Lowry, ended the Dáil impasse by declaring that backbench members of the group would not be allowed Opposition privileges.
Tánaiste Simon Harris on Friday insisted the Government majority relied on the support of 95 TDs, a figure that included the three TDs who wrote letters.
The Fine Gael leader acknowledged the letters had been sent but that he believed the majority stood “based on the fact those people negotiated a programme for government in good faith and I respect their mandates and respect the fact they did that.”
“Even if you were to apply the case-by-case basis there’s still 91 TDs whipped,” he said.
Mr Harris said, however, that the length of the Dáil speaking time row had been going on “way too long, and quite frankly driving people crazy when there’s big pressing issues people want us to get on with”.
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