Simon Harris, the Minister for Higher Education, has made it clear that he will not be making bargains with independent delegates in search of their approval in the upcoming election for Taoiseach.
Nevertheless, the representative from Wicklow will be promptly arranging encounters with Independents that have previously aligned with the Government, but has made it clear that these discussions will not be strictly “transactional”. While the Government narrowly enjoys an on-paper advantage, the substantive majority in votes of confidence has seen a boost due to support from Independents, including a few former government delegates.
While attending the Fairyhouse races on Easter Monday, Mr Harris declared that he is indeed in dialogue with various individuals across the political arena. He pointed out the reality that several independents have supported the Government and the Taoiseach’s election before, and stated that he is eager to understand the viewpoint of Independents in this matter.
Cathal Berry, the Kildare South delegate; Marc MacSharry, a former Fianna Fáil delegate; Joe McHugh, a former Fine Gael representative and Donegal delegate; Denis Naughten, the delegate for Roscommon-Galway; Peter Fitzpatrick, a delegate for Louth; Noel Grealish, the Galway West delegate; and Michael Lowry, a deputy for Tipperary all registered their votes to re-elect Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach in 2022.
While Mr Harris has said that they would not be transactional meetings, he recognised politics as an art of active listening, accessibility and willingness to engage. The Government holds the prevailing majority in the Dáil, and yet he is inclined to reach out to those independent delegates that have shown past favor toward the Government to evaluate if they are still likely to be supportive.
Both Mr MacSharry and Mr McHugh have intimated their inclination to back Mr Harris, and the remaining individuals are expected to engage with him in the upcoming days.
An array of independent members including Verona Murphy from Wexford, Thomas Pringle from Donegal, Michael McNamara from Clare, Michael Fitzmaurice from Roscommon-Galway, Marian Harkin from Sligo-Leitrim, and Joan Collins from Dublin South Central have decided not to support Mr Harris.
Expressing deep concern about the increase in road fatalities in Ireland since the beginning of the year, Mr Harris is keen on prioritising road safety once his election is formalised. He intends to hold an urgent meeting with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Garda.
The escalating figures of drivers caught impaired by alcohol or drugs during the bank holiday weekend are particularly disturbing to him. He cautions that this lenient approach to impaired driving by some could seriously jeopardise the progress accomplished in road safety, potentially even causing regression.
His office has already initiated talks with the RSA about a possible meeting involving the RSA, the Garda, and other interested parties. As he reveals, this meeting will top the list of his initial government appointments.
He warns of the very real danger of undoing the significant improvements made in road safety over the years, declaring this will be a central concern in the immediate future.
Regarding his cabinet selections once he is presumably elected taoiseach on April 9th, he hasn’t yet made any definitive choices. He will contemplate these issues ahead of the expected date, but policy and execution remain his most pressing matters currently.
With the Fine Gael ardfheis coming up, he intends to seize this opportunity to share his ideas and future targets around areas he believes can provide concrete benefits for the populace. He’s looking forward to his colleagues’ collaboration on these matters.