New Ceann Comhairle top of Dáil agenda
And while it’s fairly clear that Bertie Ahern will remain Taoiseach once that position is voted upon, there’s no such certainty yet about whom the Ceann Comhairle will be.
Fianna Fáil’s Seamus Kirk, Fine Gael’s Seymour Crawford, Labour’s Ruairi Quinn and Independent Tony Gregory are just some of the names which have been mentioned in recent days.
Much will depend on the eventual formation of the government and the arithmetic involved.
The smaller the eventual Government’s majority is, the less likely that the Ceann Comhairle will come from the Fianna Fáil ranks.
This is because the Ceann Comhairle, as a rule, does not vote on matters in the House.
The only exception is in cases where there is ‘equality of votes’, or a tie, when the Ceann Comhairle has — and is obliged to exercise — the casting vote.
Given this situation, Fianna Fáil would not want to give the job to one of its own TDs if its majority was slim, as it would automatically be down one vote.
For example, if Fianna Fáil, which has 78 seats, was to form a coalition with the two PDs and four of the five Independents — an option the party is considering — it would mean a coalition with a total of 84 seats.
That is just one more than the 83 required for a majority in the Dáil. If Fianna Fáil in such circumstances appointed one of its TDs to the position of Ceann Comhairle, the majority would be reduced to 83 — the bare minimum required to be guaranteed of winning a Dáil vote.
The outcome will become clear shortly after 3pm on Thursday, when, as their first business, the TDs will elect the Ceann Comhairle.
Whatever the arithmetic, the current holder of the position, Fianna Fáil TD Dr Rory O’Hanlon, is expected to make way.
Should Fianna Fáil opt for one of its own, Dr O’Hanlon’s most likely successor is thought to be Mr Kirk, a former junior minister at the Department of Agriculture who was first elected to the Dáil in 1982.
Fine Gael’s Seymour Crawford has also been mentioned, and is thought to be interested, although he has played down reports linking him to the post.
Labour’s Ruairi Quinn is another thought to be in the frame. Speaking about the issue in recent days, he said he was “not aware of any such proposal“, but admitted it was “a very interesting proposition”.
Independent TD Tony Gregory was initially tipped for the post in return for his support for a Fianna Fáil-led government. But with Fianna Fáil so far having declined to talk with Mr Gregory about a government formation deal, that possibility now appears remote.
Other names mentioned in relation to the post include Fine Gael’s Padraic McCormack and Labour’s Brian O’Shea.
