The uneasy ceasefire could never hold and it was inevitable that hostilities would resume. Such was the reported falling out of the Healy-Rae brothers, whose homespun political organisation has been a dominant force in Kerry politics for a generation now.
One of the great tactics of Opposition parties is to locate the weakest link of any Government. Usually, when the majority is precarious or relying on smaller parties or Independents, they try to isolate one TD from the pack and choose to attack the government of the day on an issue that is very close to that individual’s heart.
That usually culminates with a vote of confidence in the minister and a government, with a walk-through vote. That essentially forces the individual to physically turn left, walk through the Government lobby at the top of the stairs in the chamber, or to turn right and join the Opposition.
It worked a treat with Danny Healy-Rae, although there did not seem to be much calculation in it. Danny’s profession has been the hiring of machines and trucks, so if he had not been a public representative there is a fair chance he would have been on a blockade, or driving at 2km/h in a train of tractors and dozers around the roundabouts outside Killarney and Kenmare.
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Danny and his brother Michael Healy-Rae had done a two-for-one deal with Taoiseach Micheál Martin when this Government was formed in early 2025. In return for supporting the Government in Dáil votes, Michael would become a Minister of State.
Danny agonised over his decision on last week’s confidence motion but told Government Chief Whip Mary Butler on the eve of the debate that he was likely to vote against the Government.
It did put a question mark over the two-for-one deal, but what took everyone by surprise was that Michael also went overboard. What’s more, he did not tell the whips, who found out only when an observant Fianna Fáil TD spotted that Michael was rehearsing a resignation speech in the chamber.
The Kerry’s Eye newspaper reported this week that the double resignation has caused a serious rift between the brothers, so much so that they might stand on different tickets in the next election, and that Michael has not involved Danny in talks with smaller groups about getting speaking rights in the Dáil.
The Kerry’s Eye report quoted sources saying the Michael Healy-Rae camp was “blaming” Danny’s decision to vote no confidence in the Government for Michael’s resignation from the role of Minister of State for Agriculture with responsibility for forestry.
However, Danny denied there had been a falling out. “There has been no falling out at all between us, none at all,” he told The Irish Times on Thursday. Michael was not available for comment.
In fact, our own very astute columnist Miriam Lord spotted that there was trouble at the mill when observing what was happening in the Dáil on Wednesday.
‘Get the Posters Up’
So the writs have been moved for the byelections in Galway West and in Dublin Central. They will both take place on May 22nd, giving a four-week campaign.
The Dublin West TD Emer Currie moved the writ for Dublin Central in the Dáil on Wednesday evening (it was a Fine Gael seat, vacated by Paschal Donohoe), while Richard Boyd-Barrett did the honours for Galway West (a seat vacated by his close ally Catherine Connolly upon her election as President).
There are lots of candidates in both constituencies and there are a lot of interesting themes and intrigues. Will the left alliance hold in either constituency? Will the cost-of-living and fuel protests play into either of the contests? How will the Monk, aka Gerard Hutch, perform this time around? Will the elections follow the pattern of most byelections in that Government candidates won’t win?
We have detailed constituency profiles for both byelections, the one for Dublin Central written by Ellen Coyne.
and the one for Galway West written by me.
Playbook
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has been in Ayia Napa in Cyprus for a two-day EU meeting. He has already said that more measures may be introduced to tackle high energy costs. Jack Power and Damian Mac Con Uladh have been reporting.
The Sinn Féin ardfheis takes place in Belfast this weekend, starting tonight, with leader Mary Lou McDonald giving her presidential address to the faithful on Saturday night. Expect the party to focus on the cost-of-living as its main theme, with its “end the rip-off” slogan featuring heavily.
The fuel protesters have not gone away but are possibly regrouping in advance of further go-slows and blockades. A public meeting in Cork on Sunday will feature midlands farmer and protester James Geoghegan and protester John Dallon, along with Ken O’Flynn of Independent Ireland and right-wing Dublin Independent councillor Gavin Pepper.
