Recollections from the Previous Seven Days
This past week was not particularly eventful. Not much to recount. Zero. No activity. Same as always. A section of the committee dedicated a few hours to the HSE Service Plan deliberation. Meanwhile, the Joint Committee on European Affairs held a discussion focused on tackling voter misinformation. The only noteworthy happening was Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stepping down on Wednesday. By Thursday, we already had a potential successor, Simon Harris.
Pardon the somewhat forced opening paragraph, it’s just an attempt to portray the exhilarating week that unfolded. The unexpected announcement by the Taoiseach to step down was particularly startling, catching everyone by surprise. This was swiftly followed by Simon Harris’s dramatic campaign, concluding the Fine Gael succession race even before it truly started.
Though usually political secrets spread like wildfire, Leo Varadkar’s resignation plans shockingly remained intact, known only to a close circle of trusted colleagues. Varadkar made up his mind fully on the preceding Saturday, yet when he shared his plans with his Government colleagues and staff late on Tuesday night, it came as a complete surprise.
He spent most of Wednesday explaining his reasons. After seven years in office, the job had become very demanding, and he believed he couldn’t provide the job the energy it required.
The Taoiseach admitted that his job had taken its toll, stating, “More than seven years of long days, late evenings, most weekends, a lot of travel. I need a break.”
As he submitted his resignation, questions started hustling, asking about the “true reason” behind Leo Varadkar stepping down. There’s always supposed to be a hidden reason, right? Was there a secret element to Simon Harris’s sudden appearance? But this time, the ordinary reason provided by Varadkar was in fact the genuine one.
Regarding the Fine Gael electoral process, the 54-member parliamentary party holds 65% of the vote, while councillors have 10%, and the membership comprises 25%. Essentially, this means that whoever wins the majority support of the parliamentary party is virtually unstoppable.
Just mere hours into the start of the campaign and six hours prior to his official nomination, Harris had bagged half of the party’s parliamentary support. The weight of numbers leaning towards Harris promptly decided for those competitors who were pondering their alternatives on Thursday morning. Quite frankly, it was a crowning moment.
What follows next? Nomination closing is due on Monday. It’s almost certain that Harris will be the only contender, fuelling the anticipation of an accelerated election process that might enable him to take on the Taoiseach’s duties slightly sooner.
Another major topic on the table is the layout of the Fine Gael segment in the Cabinet. While there’s one open spot for Higher Education, if Harris plans to deliver on his refreshing governmental revamp pledge, at least two new faces are anticipated in the Cabinet along with an array of novice junior ministers. Speculations are afloat about Simon Coveney being at risk, and sidelining him or any other ministers would indeed be quite audacious. This could potentially be Harris’s first significant and internally controversial decision in his fresh role.
Clash of the Week
Overshadowed by other unfolding events, the assisted dying report’s publication induced a severe dispute amongst the committee members, post a protracted special Oireachtas Committee deliberation.
As reported by Jack Horgan-Jones and Sarah Burns, the committee report launched on Wednesday endorsed introducing government legislation allowing for assisted dying under specific conditions – primarily limiting it to individuals with a life expectancy of six months and in the case of neurodegenerative disorders, 12 months.
Moreover, the recommendation stated that the legislation should establish an offence where a person may be deemed to have pressurised someone else into assisted dying, and healthcare professionals involved should be trained to detect such coercion.
Although it was a pertinent stride, a fracture within the committee was evident, with notable minority members against the motion being Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae, Independent Senator Ronan Mullen and Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy.
Although predictable, the situation led to Healy-Rae, the committee chair, causing an uproar within the Fine Gael members. Healy-Rae, accompanied by Mullen and Troy, launched a personal minority report contradicting the committee’s published one, which led to him being criticised by his peers who asserted that he should have supported the official report despite personal disagreement. In his defence, Healy-Rae stated that the compelling arguments against altering the current system on assisted dying far surpassed those advocating for it.
This week’s other noteworthy conflict was between Gavin Pepper, an anti-immigrant local election candidate, and Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, which entertained many on social media for its crude but intriguing language.
A decade ago, this may have been regarded as a faux pas, but the narrative has shifted. As reported by Fiachra Gallagher, Neasa Hourigan, a Green Party TD, has openly admitted to taking cocaine and ecstasy in her past. In an interview, Hourigan also indicated her future aspirations to lead the Green Party.
As for this week’s political victors and casualties, Simon Harris emerges triumphant, outpacing presumed heirs apparent to Leo Varadkar within Fine Gael – Paschal Donohoe, Simon Coveney, Helen McEntee, and Heather Humphreys. Despite Donohoe displaying unexpected shock within his statement regarding Varadkar’s announcement, it is debatable whether he, or any other contender, could have rivalled Harris’s overwhelming momentum, even given ample preparation time.
The Fine Gael selection convention for the North West Midlands is set to take place in Athilone this Sunday. The event is already stirring up buzz as Nina Carberry, renowned jockey, is slated to participate, potentially causing either Maria Walsh or more plausibly, Colm Markey, to lose their current MEP positions. The attendance of Simon Harris is certain.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party is also hosting a conference at the Helix in Dublin this weekend. Their timing, however, could diminish the spotlight on the party as Ivana Bacik’s strong performance as the leader is likely to be outshone by the formidable presence of Simon Harris.
For engaging readings for the weekend, Miriam Lord’s Saturday column providing a recap of the week’s events is highly recommended. Additionally, check out Marie O’Halloran’s brilliant profile of Simon Harris, and Jennifer Bray’s enthralling piece on the reasons behind Leo Varadkar’s decision to bring his reign as Taoiseach to a halt.
Pat Leahy offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking op-ed on Leo Varadkar, focusing on his legacy and what it means for Fine Gael, and its successor, Simon Harris. There’s also Jack Horgan-Jones’ feature exploring the critical decisions and hurdles facing Fine Gael, in addition to the strategies it should adopt to keep its relevance.
Get a sneak peek into the Labour Party conference this weekend provided by Cormac McQuinn’s outstanding preview.
Additionally, Jennifer Bray discloses a surprising revelation on Wednesday’s Inside Politics podcast; Varadkar’s resignation announcement has startled even political correspondents. This was a revelation when one politician recommended that Bray frame her political digest newsletter from Wednesday which mentioned that it was going to be a quiet week.