Election 2024

FF and FG must decide if Labour or Independents are ‘realistic partners’, says Lowry

Michael Lowry indicates he is open to supporting next government while Independent Ireland say they would want policies addressed before discussing ministerial positions

Independent TD Michael Lowry indicated he would be open to supporting a new coalition. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Independent TD Michael Lowry indicated he would be open to supporting a new coalition. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Cormac McQuinn
Mon Dec 02 2024 - 22:06

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will have to decide who they see as “realistic partners” for government and it is “either going to be the Labour Party or Independents,” according to Independent TD Michael Lowry.

Newly elected TDs from the two big parties most likely to form the bulk of a coalition are due to meet for the first time this week to offer their views on how their parties should proceed.

With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael expected to have as many as 86 TDs between them the parties would only need the support of potentially one smaller party or a handful of TDs to ensure a Dáil majority of 88 or more.

Sources in both parties suggested it would be some time before there would be consideration of whether the support of Independents could be sought to ensure a government could be formed.

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Mr Lowry has often backed previous governments in Dáil votes outside of a formal arrangement.

He indicated he would be open to supporting a new coalition as well.

But he said the two big parties needed to decide if they wanted the support of Labour or independents first.

Mr Lowry said: “I have always been open to acting decisively and having a role. I’ve done it with successive governments. I’m not interested in self-preferment. I’m interested in being in a position where I can have access to deliver on constituency issues. I think there’s several Independents in the same position. So it just remains to be seen. It’s early days.”

Independent Ireland, a new party, won four seats in the election. One of its prominent TDs, Roscommon-Galway’s Michael Fitzmaurice, said he would have to consult fellow party members when asked if it would seek ministerial positions in return for Independent Ireland’s support.

However, he said: “For any of our lads it’s not about Mercs and perks, it’s about making sure the policy is right.”

Given Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s expected Dáil numbers, he said he would not see them seeking a deal with a smaller political party such as Labour “because they’d have to give them positions”.

He said Independent Ireland was “not parish pump” and suggested the big parties would want “to pick off a few of the single Independents that will sell their soul” to get things for their local area.

Party leader Cork South-West TD Michael Collins said Independent Ireland’s door was “open regardless of whoever comes knocking as long as there’s a genuine attempt to form a government”.

Protecting the national cattle herd and lowering the VAT rate for the hospitality sector are among key issues for the party.

He did not rule out the possibility that his party would seek ministerial positions as part of a deal but said: “We’re talking about policies first. We can’t get to the ministerial positions until the polices are dealt with.”

Paul Gogarty, a former Green Party TD before he lost his seat in 2011, is back in the Dáil as an Independent for Dublin Mid-West.

He said it is “incumbent on any elected representative to discuss forming a government on achievable policy objectives” and ideally this would be with “like-minded Independent colleagues or parties with small representation”.

He said it was likely Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael “will go for rural Independents that are largely parish-pump oriented”.

Mr Gogarty said it was too soon to tell how many negotiating groupings there would be but doubted he would be involved with Independent Ireland or “climate-change denier Independents”.

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn is a Political Correspondent at The Irish Times