Correspondent

Independents…….

May 28, 2007 @ 12:18 pm | by Mark

The mating ritual has begun, so disbelieve almost everything that you hear about Fianna Fail’s coalition options. Tony Gregory and Finian McGrath this morning cleverly raised the prospect that FF is just playing with them, while they talk to Labour on the side.
It could be true. Indeed, it is certain that people in both parties are talking to each other informally, though, for now, the PD and Independents option is the first to be considered by Bertie Ahern.
But Gregory and McGrath are right to create a few distractions of their own. Ahern would find it difficult to look after Gregory, since he cannot offer “a Gregory deal” to a TD in his own constituency, though there is always the Ceann Comhairle job.
There is some talk that Gregory could be brought into government and given a Minister of State job with responsible for anti-drugs measures, though this would raise the price for every Independent even if it would cement his place his government.
For now, it is more likely that FF is thinking about chairmanships of committees, along with constituency issues for the five Independents: Gregory, McGrath, Beverley Flynn, Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy Rae.
But Ahern is playing a game of parallel strategies. Talking about the PDs and Independents lowers the price of the Greens, and vice versa, while mention of both is irritating to those in Labour who might want a change of game plan by Rabbitte.
So far, there is little public evidence of a revolt within Labour, though that could change before Thursday’s meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee in a party that is not unused to disagreements over electoral strategy.
Kildare TD, Jack Wall - a respected senior figure - has, however, made it clear that those who did not like the strategy could leave, and comments such as that from one such as him are significant.
Real talks between FF and its coalition option may not take place until early next week, though senior government people this morning were speculating that it could happen before the weekend - with Cowen very obviously in command of them.
Ahern’s RTE Six One News interview on Saturday night is still causing ripples. Effectively, Ahern made it clear that FF is now led by both himself and Cowen. The message is clear to any in FF keen on a change, festina lente….Hasten slowly.