Gerard “The Monk” Hutch’s near success in the recent general election is cause for reflection on the “disaffection” that certain cohorts of society feel towards the political system, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.
Hutch, who has been named in the courts as the leader of the Hutch organised crime gang, received 3,098 first preference votes in the Dublin Central constituency, narrowly missing out on a seat to Labour’s Marie Sherlock. Speaking to reporters in Templemore in Co Tipperary, Mr Harris said it was “good thing” that Hutch was ultimately not elected.
“I think we do need to reflect on the disaffection that sometimes people can feel from the political system and sometimes that communities can feel, in particular, from the political system,” he said.
Mr Harris described as “incredible” the level of media attention Hutch received during the campaign, suggesting that he enjoyed more coverage than some party leaders.
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“I do think it’s interesting how a convicted criminal who’s brought so much misery to communities was, in my view, treated like a celebrity throughout the general election, hoards of people at the airport nearly to welcome him back. Criminality is not celebrity. It’s something that brings pain, misery and suffering to communities.”
Speaking about the potential of entering government with the Regional Group of Independents, Mr Harris said that securing a whipped majority was “absolutely essential” in any multiparty government coalition, including one involving Independent TDs.
A function where the heads of the coalition parties or groupings can meet to hash out policy issues and ensure majority support within government is required for “smooth operation” of a coalition government, Mr Harris said.
He has spoken about government formation in recent days to Independent TD Michael Lowry, spokesperson of the newly-formed Regional Group of Independents. The grouping consists of nine Independent TDs: Mr Lowry, Noel Grealish, Kevin “Boxer” Moran, Seán Canney, Marian Harkin, Verona Murphy, Carol Nolan, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole.
“One of the key things over the last five years in terms of stable government has been that leaders’ meeting, that clearing house on a Monday night,” Mr Harris added. “I do think any coalition government does require that form of meeting of leaders, whether they’re leaders of political parties and leaders of a grouping of government.”
He said that the establishment of the regional group, and the fact that it has appointed a convener in Mr Lowry, indicated that the group was “serious about doing business in terms of being a constructive force in government”.
Asked about the difference between Hutch’s criminality and the convictions of potential government partner Mr Lowry, the Taoiseach said: “I think there are fundamental differences between Gerry “The Monk” Hutch’s criminal activities and activities of others, and I think the people can work that difference out.”
Mr Lowry was convicted of two tax offences in the Dublin Circuit Court in 2018.
While acknowledging that the Independent group did not run in the recent election on a common platform, Mr Harris said that previous government had worked successfully with Independents in the past.
He said that Fine Gael continues to engage in government-formation negotiations with the Labour Party and the Social Democrats.
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