THE 30th Dáil has 166 seats. Three are vacant due to the retirement of Martin Cullen (FF) of Waterford; the election of Pat the Cope Gallagher (FF) from Donegal South West to the European Parliament and the death of Séamus Brennan (FF) of Dublin South (and resignation of his replacement George Lee).
THE GOVERNMENT can count on 79 votes: there are 70 Fianna Fáil deputies; two TDs who are without the FF whip but supportive of Government – Dr Jimmy Devins and Eamon Scanlon, both of Sligo-Leitrim; Independent Minister for Health Mary Harney, formerly of the Progressive Democrats; and six Green TDs.
THE OPPOSITION can count on 75 votes: 51 Fine Gael TDs; 20 Labour deputies and four Sinn Féin TDs.
OTHERS: It is more difficult to predict the future voting intentions of eight other TDs:
Independent Michael Lowry of Tipperary North is expected to continue supporting the Coalition for the present but has declared he will not vote for a new Fianna Fáil nominee for Taoiseach if Brian Cowen is removed from office.
Independent Jackie Healy-Rae of Kerry South shares Mr Lowry’s position.
Independent Noel Grealish, a former Progressive Democrats deputy of Galway West, announced on Friday he would not support the Coalition until such time as health budget cuts in the west were clarified.
Dr Jim McDaid of Donegal North West, without the Fianna Fáil whip since abstaining in a vote on the cervical cancer vaccination programme in 2008, has threatened to vote against the budget in December unless his local Letterkenny General Hospital is protected from cuts.
Mattie McGrath of Tipperary South lost the Fianna Fáil whip for voting against the law to ban stag- hunting in June. He said yesterday his support for the Government would depend on the retention of acute services at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel.
Independent Joe Behan of Wicklow, who left Fianna Fáil over 2008 budget cuts, cannot be counted on by either side.
Independent Finian McGrath of Dublin North Central votes on issues as they arise. He voted against the Government when the Dáil debated a motion of confidence in Taoiseach Brian Cowen in June, but has supported animal welfare legislation and the Civil Partnership Bill.
Independent Maureen O’Sullivan of Dublin Central shares Mr McGrath’s position.
(In the event of a tied vote, Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk (FF) would vote with the Government.)
