THE COALITION Government’s majority has been technically wiped out after yesterday’s resignation of two Sligo TDs, Jimmy Devins and Eamon Scanlon, from Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party.
When the Coalition was formed under then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in June 2007, it had a total of 90 seats. That was reduced to 89 and a majority of 13 following the appointment of John O’Donoghue to the independent role of ceann comhairle.
Some 78 Fianna Fáil TDs were elected in that year’s general election. Mr Ahern and his negotiators also secured the support of six Green Party TDs, the two remaining PD deputies, and four Independent TDs: Michael Lowry; Jackie Healy-Rae; Finian McGrath; and Beverley Flynn.
By contrast, the combined total of the Opposition was 76. Fine Gael returned 51 TDs; Labour held 20 seats; Sinn Féin had four; with the late Tony Gregory being the sole Independent TD on the Opposition benches.
However, what was widely seen as an impregnable double-figure majority in 2007 – one that would safely see the Government through the full five-year term – has been whittled down by a series of events, including the death of Seamus Brennan, the European election victory of Pat “the Cope” Gallagher, and a number of defections and resignations. The Government’s position in the Dáil is vulnerable, according to Opposition and Government sources.
Fianna Fáil’s strength rose to 79 when Beverly Flynn was readmitted to the party. However, as she already supported the Government, its majority was unchanged.
In July 2008, Mr Brennan died following a long illness. His seat was won by Fine Gael’s George Lee in a byelection last June.
In October 2008, Joe Behan resigned from Fianna Fáil over its decision to withdraw the universal provision of medical cards for over-70s. He has effectively been an Independent TD since then and has voted against the Government on several occasions.
Three days later, Finian McGrath, one of the four Independent TDs who made deals with Mr Ahern after the 2007 election, also withdrew his support, citing the over-70s medical cards as well as education cuts.
There are now three Independent TDs on the Opposition benches; Mr Behan, Mr McGrath and Maureen O’Sullivan, who won the byelection in Dublin Central in June this year caused by the death of Mr Gregory.
In November 2008, Jim McDaid had the whip withdrawn when he abstained in a Dáil vote on the HPV vaccine. Yesterday’s decision by the Sligo TDs means three Fianna Fáil TDs are no longer members of the parliamentary party.
And with the election of Pat “the Cope” Gallagher to the European Parliament in June, Fianna Fáil is now six seats down from its 2007 total. When the position of ceann comhairle is excluded, it has 72 TDs in the parliamentary party.
With the support of six Green TDs, two PDs (a party on the cusp of extinction) and two Independents, Mr Lowry and Jackie Healy-Rae, the Coalition is only assured of the support of 82 TDs.
The total number of TDs on the Opposition benches has now risen to 82, technically, if the three Fianna Fáil defectors are included.
