TD Dr Michael Harty denies report he will vote against Government

Independent Clare TD Dr Michael Harty has rowed back from suggesting he had withdrawn his support for the Government.

He said yesterday he does not intend to vote against the Government in key votes, such as budgets or confidence motions.

But this was in contrast to comments he gave to the Sunday Independent, where he suggested he had “withdrawn” support from the Government after he was overlooked for a junior ministry in last week’s appointments. The story said Dr Harty had pulled his support because he was not appointed as a junior minister by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

It said Dr Harty stated that he was not part of the Government and said he will approach all votes — including motions of no confidence in the Taoiseach or his ministers — on a strictly case-by-case basis.

As a result, the story claimed Mr Kenny’s Government was teetering on a knife-edge after Dr Harty had withdrawn his support.

But yesterday, he appeared to contradict that position. Dr Harty said suggestions that he has withdrawn his support for the Government “do not reflect his position”.

“I will take each issue as it comes and decide. But I will not be voting to bring the Government down on crucial votes like the budget, a confidence motion or a cabinet reshuffle. Obviously, if there was some unforeseen cataclysmic event that threatened the Government I would have to consider that. But I intend to be responsible in how I vote,” he said.

Dr Harty said he was not offered, and had not sought, a junior ministerial position.

“I voted for Enda Kenny to be elected Taoiseach and to allow a Fine Gael minority Government to take office as that was the only viable government possible,”he said.

“I never gave unqualified support to the Government so there is nothing to withdraw. I was then and remain an Independent TD.”

The Clare-based GP said his position was similar to the arrangement with Fianna Fáil. When the contradiction in this statement was pointed out, Dr Harty said: “Obviously, if the vote (of confidence) on cataclysmic, unforeseen event it will depend on the issue at hand.”

Dr Harty, who was part of the Rural Five alliance which negotiated with Fine Gael, said he never sought a position in government from Fine Gael. He denied he was “throwing his toys out of the pram” because he was not appointed as junior minister.

There is now speculation that Fine Gael may seek to back Dr Harty as chairman of a powerful new Oireachtas health committee. The Fine Gael minority Government is reliant on the support of stand alone Independent TDs Michael Lowry and Katherine Zappone. It is also supported by Shane Ross, Finian McGrath, John Halligan, Sean Canney and Kevin Boxer Moran of the Independent Alliance, and Denis Naughten and Dr Harty of the Rural Alliance. Dr Harty ran on the platform of highlighting the lack of GP care in parts of rural Ireland.