Danny Healy-Rae has denied any political rift between him and his brother, fellow Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae.
“There has been no falling out at all between us, none at all,” Danny Healy-Rae said to The Irish Times on Thursday.
He was responding to an article in the Kerry Eye newspaper that suggested a “bitter row” had erupted between the two brothers over Danny’s decision to vote against the Government in the Dáil confidence motion which arose out of rural fuel protests.
Michael Healy-Rae was not available for comment on Thursday despite a number of attempts to contact him.
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The Kerry 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.
[ Two-for-one deal comes back to bite Healy-RaesOpens in new window ]
It also stated that Michael and his son, Jackie Healy-Rae, a councillor in Kerry, would stand on a joint platform in the next general election with Danny Healy-Rae excluded from the ticket.
Michael is also said to be seeking to forge a deal with other Independents for speaking rights in the Dáil, independently of Danny.
Separately, a number of Fianna Fáil sources told The Irish Times that as far as it was concerned, Danny’s vote of no confidence in the Government would not automatically have resulted in Michael having to stand down as a junior minister.
When the Government was being formed in early 2024, Michael was offered a ministerial position on a so-called “two for one” arrangement, where both Healy-Raes would support the Government in the Dáil.
While Danny made it known to Government Chief Whip Mary Butler on the eve of the confidence vote that he was likely to vote against the Government, the two Coalition parties had no inkling that Michael was going to resign.
It only came to their attention when Dublin TD Shay Brennan, who was sitting beside Michael, noticed what looked like a resignation speech. Taken by surprise, Fianna Fáil whips then spoke to him and offered him more time before he made up his mind.
However, he was determined to resign.
One senior figure in the party, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that even though the two brothers had made a “two for one” deal with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, there was a strong possibility that Michael could have continued as a Government Minister notwithstanding Danny’s decision to vote against the Coalition.
