THE SURPRISE resignation of Independent Fianna Fáil TD James McDaid from the Dáil has added to the difficulties of the Coalition Government but it need not cause an immediate general election. At this time of considerable financial difficulty and economic uncertainty, the former minister’s action amounts to an unnecessary distraction rather than to a full-blown political crisis. As a Government spokesman insisted: it still has a working majority in the Dáil. And while that majority has been eroded, it is not in imminent danger of collapse.
Whether three of Dr McDaid’s Independent Fianna Fáil colleagues, who surrendered the party whip on a variety of local issues, can be expected to support the Government on what is billed to be the most draconian budget in the history of this State is uncertain. What independent politician, including Michael Lowry, wants to stand four-square with that proposition in what now seems the immediate run-up to a general election? The four byelections that are now pending will not be held until the first quarter of 2011 and Fianna Fáil believes that it will take a drubbing. Nonetheless, if the political will exists in Cabinet, the design of a December budget will be extremely challenging, but possible to do.
Dr McDaid is no stranger to controversy. Two years ago, he lost the party whip by abstaining on a Fine Gael cervical cancer motion. More recently, he threatened to vote against the coming budget unless Letterkenny hospital was protected from health cuts. That unrealistic demand may have induced his resignation. Before that, however, he called for a pre-budget general election and was critical of the Government’s handling of the economic crisis.
Dr McDaid may be sincere, but he plays to the gallery. On the one hand, his Dáil support was made contingent on Letterkenny hospital receiving special treatment; on the other, he complained the Government was incapable of taking tough decisions. His demand for an immediate general election was premised on the notion that, somehow, a strong Government with a majority of 20 or more seats would emerge to put things right. It was unclear whether Fianna Fáil would be involved.
The time has passed now for a general election. The ham-fisted attempt to reach a consensus with the main Opposition parties on the four-year spending plan with detailed policy decisions failed. The Coalition Government is going it alone, albeit with the minimum of a public mandate and public support to do so. But, here we are. It would have been better, given the political situation, if there were a strong Government – of whatever hue – to bring forward such proposals. The argument that three or four weeks electioneering on a four-year economic plan before Christmas would discommode the public is a nonsense.
The public has stopped spending in anticipation of a harsh budget and lower living standards. Money will not flow again until there is clarity about future taxation and income. For the Government’s own survival, it would be wise if the time lag between the four-year plan and the Dáil vote on the budget were much closer.