ANALYSIS:Independent TDs may come together in a political marriage of convenience to share parliamentary spoils, writes MICHAEL O'REGAN
THE EXPANSION of the Independent ranks makes a technical group an inevitability in the next Dáil.
Some of the deputies could well join the five United Left Alliance (ULA) TDs to make up the necessary seven to form the group and avail of rights to participate in Opposition leaders’ questions and private members’ time as well as having access to committees and other perks under the House’s standing orders.
Although different in geography and outlook, the Independent and ULA TDs might come together in a political marriage of convenience to share the parliamentary spoils or even divide into two groups to maximise their advantage on the opposition benches.
Dublin South’s Shane Ross will be as anxious as Roscommon-South Leitrim’s Luke “Ming” Flanagan and Kerry South’s Michael Healy-Rae to ensure full access to speaking rights in a Dáil which is likely to see the new government come under constant scrutiny on the economy.
Independent Finian McGrath, who retained his seat in Dublin North Central, said last night that he would approach like-minded TDs, including Waterford’s John Halligan, Kildare North’s Catherine Murphy and Donegal South West’s Thomas Pringle, with a view to forming a technical group.
“We have huge potential to form a credible and dynamic group,” he said.
“My initial interest would be in forming an alliance with left-of-centre TDs who would have core principles in common,” he added.
McGrath said, however, that he was not ruling out other Independent TDs participating in the group.
In the past, Mr McGrath has worked closely with Joe Higgins, of the Socialist Party, who won back his Dublin West seat, and Maureen O’Sullivan, who retained her seat in Dublin Central, on Dáil procedures.
He also worked closely with Tipperary North Independent Michael Lowry, and former Kerry South Independent, Jackie Healy-Rae, whose son, Michael, won his seat, when they supported the outgoing Government in the last Dáil in return for constituency projects.
McGrath eventually withdrew his support from the Government, unhappy with some of its policies in areas such as health.
Ross has signalled his intention to depart from traditional politics. “We want radical change,” he said.
He will be anxious to outline his views on the economy from the Opposition benches and would clearly be open to an arrangement to form a technical group.
In Wexford, property developer and first-time candidate Mick Wallace said he had made no promises on local issues such as fixing potholes, indicating that he wanted to concentrate on national issues.
He, too, would be likely to be amenable to an arrangement that would allow him question soon-to-be taoiseach Enda Kenny on matters of importance.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin may, in time, look to some of the new Independents with party links in the past to rejoin the fold and boost his depleted numbers on the Opposition benches.
Tom Fleming, who won a seat in Kerry South at the expense of former ceann comhairle John O’Donoghue, is a former Fianna Fáil councillor and general election candidate.
Fleming said last night that he intended pursuing policy objectives he had put before his constituents.
“I intend doing that as an Independent member of the Dáil,” he said.
His fellow Independent Kerry South TD Michael Healy-Rae dismissed a return to Fianna Fáil, stressing that he had been elected to all public offices as an Independent.
“My father was a member of Fianna Fáil at one time,” he said. “But I never stood for public office on behalf of the party.
“I resent the term ‘FF gene pool’ being applied to myself,” he added.
Martin may be hoping to smooth the path back to the party of Tipperary South’s Mattie McGrath who left Fianna Fáil to run as an Independent after voting against the outgoing Government on a number of issues in the Dáil.
Kerry South and Tipperary South are now among the constituencies with no Fianna Fáil TDs, and Fleming and McGrath would be prized candidates to contest the next election if they rejoined the party.
A Fianna Fáil source was last night doubtful that Martin would make any overtures to the Independents in the short term. “We are still toxic,” said the source.
“The Independents will not want to know us for a long time, if ever.”