Shane Ross: Fine Gael tried to isolate Alliance TDs

Transport Minister Shane Ross accused Coalition partners Fine Gael of treating him and his Independent Alliance colleagues as “an inconvenience” and trying to isolate them at Cabinet.

Describing himself as an “outsider” and a “dissident minister”, Mr Ross said Fine Gael hardliners, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, have sought to “bypass” himself and minister of state for disabilities Finian McGrath at the Cabinet table.

“Yes. I think they regarded us as inconvenience, an add-on, and we didn’t feel that was the case, and we needed to flex our muscles early on,” Mr Ross told the Irish Examiner.