Cathal Berry and Peter Fitzpatrick, both Independent TDs, have recently pledged their support for Simon Harris in the incoming Dáil vote. This vote could potentially see Harris rise as the new taoiseach representing Fine Gael.
Harris, with this latest development, can now anticipate support from at least seven Independent TDs. This factor aids in strengthening the thin majority presently held by the Coalition in the Dáil.
The other Independent TDs who have shown their intentions of backing Harris on the day of the vote include Noel Grealish of Galway West, Denis Naughten, the TD for Roscommon-Galway, Marc MacSharry, the TD from Sligo-Leitrim, Tipperary’s TD Michael Lowry, and Joe McHugh from Donegal, an ex-Fine Gael minister who is without a whip.
Also included in the list is Green Party Dublin Central TD, Neasa Hourigan, who, despite being disconnected from her parliamentary party due to her voting against the Government in the previous year, has confirmed her allegiance to Harris, thus growing the predicted majority.
Harris has refused to offer concessionary deals to Independents in lieu of their support and emphasised that his discussions with them this week would be without any “transactional” agendas.
Berry took several days to decide whether or not to back Harris. Before their meeting last week, he had advocated for additional funding for small businesses and for farmers. He disclosed that during his meeting with Harris, they discussed national security and the urgency of speeding up school construction projects. In Harris’ tenure, Berry expects to see a boosted focus on national security and expressed that national security is implicitly tied to law and order. He further stressed the need to bring back our naval forces to stave off international drug cartels and reclaim control over our territorial waters, indicating the current lawlessness off our coast being intolerable.
Louth’s TD, Fitzpatrick, who is a former Fine Gael deputy, met with Harris to converse about issues affecting his constituents. He mentioned concerns involving housing, health, living costs, the critical role of SMEs, border area problems and agriculture. Additionally, he brought up the case of suicide prevention charity, Pieta House, aiming to strike a deal with the Health Service Executive to expand their services to Dundalk. After the meeting, Fitzpatrick expressed confidence in Harris leading a robust and steady government, pledging to give him his vote for taoiseach.