Pledging economic stability and a surge in infrastructure spending Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael yesterday published a programme for government for the next five years, agreed with nine Independent TDs.
The new government will take office after Micheál Martin is elected taoiseach next Wednesday and will have a majority of 17 on the Dáil floor after the two Healy-Rae brothers from Kerry agreed to join seven other Independent TDs of the Regional Independent Group.
In all, the Independents will have two super-junior minister posts, to be filled by Sean Canney and Noel Grealish, and three further junior ministers — Kevin Boxer Moran, Marian Harkin and Michael Healy-Rae.
While Ministers and Government spokespeople insisted there were no special constituency deals agreed and the programme included wide-ranging pledges on health, childcare and housing, Independent TDs said that they expect to be able to progress roads, hospital and school projects in their constituencies.
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Dublin Bay North Independent Barry Heneghan said that he fought for specific school and hospital projects in his constituency.
Asked if he had commitments concerning these projects he replied: “You don’t go in as an Independent unless you’re going to get something in return for your support for government.”
He added: “I would expect for steps to be made in the right direction for these projects to be completed ... There are no constituency deals in writing but we do have agreements in regards to the HSE capital plan.”
Asked what was secured for Galway during an interview with Galway Bay FM on Wednesday Independent Sean Canney replied: “It’s not so much that it has been secured for Galway.” But he referred to the National Development Plan (NDP) saying it includes a hospital project and an outer ring road among other projects.
“The thing we have to do now is make sure that these projects are expedited and that funding is made available in an orderly fashion to make sure that we deliver quickly rather than having these things going on for decades,” he said.
Michael Healy-Rae said he and his brother Danny highlighted projects and concerns from his home county during the negotiations while saying these issues “are reflected throughout the rest of the country as well. But we are going to make sure that working from within government that we will be able to progress and move on issues and difficulties and long-standing problems in the county.”
He said people in Kerry will see “clear benefits to having Healy-Raes in government”.
Mr Healy-Rae said that these included funding for roads and he said that “some schemes for example that were stopped and that now are going to be started”.
While the programme for government recommits to many of the pillars of climate policy — including carbon targets and the roll-out of offshore wind, it outlines explicitly an expedited review of the NDP which will consider more roads and increased funding in this area.
It says that distinct budgets will be established for road maintenance, but is silent on the ratio of spending on new roads versus public transport, a key Green policy in the outgoing coalition.
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Meanwhile, it says the incoming administration will “take all necessary action to ensure and protect Ireland’s energy security”, seen by some as a coded reference to constructing liquefied natural gas infrastructure.
The programme emphasises the role of data centres in economic growth, indicating that it will be open to facilities that maximise “efficient grid usage” and reduce their carbon footprint using techniques like waste-heat capture. Outgoing Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan had indicated there would be no new data centre grid connections until 2030.
The programme also says it will ensure measures under the Nature Restoration Law will be “completely voluntary” for farmers while pledging to “stand up for Irish farmers” in “opposing the current Mercosur trade deal”.
The programme also indicates a hardening of some aspects of migration policy, including accommodation for international protection applicants “with restrictions on their movement to ensure the integrity of the process”.
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