Politics

Canney to find out next week if he keeps assistant whip job

Galway East Deputy has left Independent Alliance but will remain on Government benches

Sean Canney: “Rotating means rotating. The deal was that the position was to be rotated”

Fiach Kelly
Fri May 4 2018 - 20:22

Independent TD Sean Canney will not find out until next week if he is to keep his job as an assistant government whip – a position which comes with a €15,000 allowance above his TD's salary.

Mr Canney, a Galway East Deputy, has left the Independent Alliance group of TDs, but will remain on the Government benches and will support the Government on issues of confidence and budgetary matters.

He has been considering his position within the Independent Alliance since losing a row over the allocation of a junior ministerial portfolio.

The other members had been told that Mr Canney would release a statement on Saturday. The other Independent Alliance members include Shane Ross, Finian McGrath, John Halligan and Kevin "Boxer" Moran.

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Mr Canney still has the position of assistant government whip, which comes with an extra €15,000 allowance on top of a basic €90,000 TD’s salary.

Speaking on Friday, however, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the issue of the assistant whip position would not be settled until next week.

“We’ll work on that next week. I deeply regret the fact he’s decided to leave the Independent Alliance, but that’s a decision for him, and I welcome the fact he wants to continue to support the Government. So next week I’ll be meeting with him and with the Independent Alliance over the terms of that and how to bring that forward.”

Assistant whip

Mr Canney had earlier indicated he would remain as an assistant whip. He will continue to support the Government on the same basis as other Independent TDs Denis Naughten and Katherine Zappone.

In a short statement released on Friday, the Independent Alliance said: “The Independent Alliance note the departure of Sean Canney from the group, and we wish him well in the future.”

Mr Moran and Mr Canney made an agreement two years ago to rotate the position of Minister of State for the Office of Public Works between them.

When the Fine Gael-led minority administration took office in May 2016, they decided with a coin toss that Mr Canney should take the job first for one year. Mr Moran took over last June.

Mr Canney maintained the ministerial post should revert back to him, while Mr Moran, a Longford-Westmeath Deputy, believed the agreement was that Mr Canney would have the job for one year only.

The issue was settled in Mr Moran’s favour last month.

Rotated

Mr Canney on the Today with Sean O'Rourke show said he was disappointed what he claimed was the original deal to rotate the junior ministry had not been maintained. "Rotating means rotating. The deal was that the position was to be rotated."

He said that when he shook hands on a deal he expected it to be carried through.

When asked if the deal had been put in writing, he acknowledged that it had not. “I lectured in contract law, and I didn’t follow my own advice.”

He also thanked “all who have contacted me over the last number of weeks offering their support”.

“I want again to emphasise that it is business as usual for me as I continue to serve the constituents of Galway East as an Independent TD.”

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