TIPPERARY SOUTH TD Mattie McGrath has become the latest backbencher to claim his support for the Government will depend on the retention of health services in his constituency.
Mr McGrath, who lost the Fianna Fáil whip for voting against the law to ban stag hunting in June, said he had already revealed the extent of his concern about the “reconfiguration” of services at South Tipperary General Hospital to Government chief whip John Curran.
“We met last Wednesday at his [Mr Curran’s] request. I made it quite clear any downgrading of Tipperary general would be unacceptable. Otherwise I’m not going to be supporting issues, unless this issue is derailed,” Mr McGrath said.
He claimed decisions were being made about health services “behind closed doors” and called for “proper negotiations” with local politicians.
Mr McGrath’s threat follows an announcement on Friday by former Progressive Democrats deputy, Independent Noel Grealish, that he would not support the Coalition until such time as health budget cuts in the west were clarified.
Mr Curran yesterday insisted health services would have to be delivered from within existing resources. Meanwhile, two pieces of proposed legislation sponsored by the Green Party are expected to cause some controversy.
The proposed legislation will allow for a Dublin mayoral election and a ban on corporate donations. The publication of Dublin mayoral legislation is imminent.
While Mr Curran yesterday said Green leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley hoped to bring corporate donations proposals to Government before the end of the year, the Greens are anxious to ensure the legislation is published before Christmas.
The Greens will this week vote with the Government to oppose the Fine Gael attempt to move the writs for the three outstanding byelections on Wednesday.
The polls to fill Dáil vacancies in Donegal South West, Dublin South and Waterford are expected to take place on the same day in spring.
The Greens want the referendum on children’s rights and the Dublin mayoral election to proceed at the same time.
“The issue of the byelections will be dealt with. We have always said there’s a logic to holding all pending votes on the same day.
“The priority for the coming weeks must be to bring finality to the banking situation and drafting a difficult budget,” a spokesman for the Green Party said.
