Independents will vote for budget, chief whip believes

POLITICAL PRESSURE:PRESSURE ON Government to get the budget through the Dáil eased last night when it emerged that Independent TDs Jackie Healy-Rae and Michael Lowry were expected to vote with the Coalition.

The Government will have a potential minimum of 82 supporters, while the Opposition will have a potential maximum of 80 if Pearse Doherty is elected as Sinn Féin TD for Donegal South West tomorrow.

Prior to the publication of the four-year plan, Mr Healy-Rae and Mr Lowry made it clear that the Government could no longer rely on their support for the budget. However, Government chief whip John Curran said he believed the pair would side with the Coalition.

Mr Healy-Rae’s son, Cllr Michael Healy-Rae, said: “The responsible thing to do would be to support the budget, provided it was fair and equitable.

“We should publish a budget to create confidence in Europe with the people in there having discussions with regard to the bailout, as we call it.”

He added: “There are plenty of unpalatable things in this budget, but at the end of the day, politicians must act in the best interest of the nation.”

Mr Lowry could not be contacted last night.

Galway West deputy Noel Grealish, formerly of the Progressive Democrats, withdrew his support for the Government last month until such time as health budget cuts in the west were clarified.

Mr Grealish, who used to sit on the Government benches, took a seat beside Independent Dublin North-Central TD Finian McGrath and behind Labour TDs in the Dáil chamber during Leaders’ Questions yesterday. He could not be contacted last night.

Government sources are no longer concerned about the voting intentions of Fianna Fáil deputies who have been vocal about their concerns around the budget and the party leadership in recent times, after a motion supporting the Government’s efforts on the budget was unanimously agreed at the parliamentary party meeting this week.

These TDs include Cork North-Central TD Noel O’Flynn and Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness, who were unavailable for comment last night.

Tipperary South deputy Mattie McGrath, without the Fianna Fáil whip, said he was still thinking about how he would vote. Dr Jimmy Devins, TD for Sligo-Leitrim, also without the party whip, indicated he was minded to back the budget at this stage.

“I will be waiting to see what’s in the budget, but on the basis of what’s indicated in the four-year plan, I will have no option but to support the budget.

The future of the country is at stake,” Dr Devins said. His constituency colleague Eamon Scanlon, also without the whip, said: “For the sake of the country the budget has to go through.”

Mr McGrath said he would meet his team on Friday night to decide how to vote on the budget. Dublin Central Independent Maureen O’Sullivan also said she would talk to her team. Independent Wicklow TD Joe Behan, formerly of Fianna Fáil, said he would be “broadly supportive” of the four-year plan.

“There’s a lot in it I could agree with,” he said.