Independents likely to get 'voice at the Cabinet table' with potential super junior ministry

It has been suggested that disabilities, which is currently part of Roderic O'Gorman's Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, would be represented by an independent super junior minister. File Picture: Laura Hutton/RollingNews.ie

Independent TDs will likely "have a voice at the Cabinet table" as they look set to formally join government formation talks later this week.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael negotiating teams resumed talks on Monday, with a group of regional independents also meeting to discuss their platform. 

With Verona Murphy having been elected Ceann Comhairle before Christmas, the remaining seven TDs — Seán Canney, Marian Harkin, Barry Heneghan, Noel Grealish, Michael Lowry, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, and Gillian Toole — resumed deliberations on a policy platform in "anticipation of a formal invitation to enter government formation talks later this week".

A statement from the group said its work is "ongoing" and that "the group intends to negotiate and act as a cohesive group", and sources said that it is expected that talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will begin later this week. 

A senior source said that although the group has not yet outlined its asks for being part of the next Government, it is likely that there will be a super junior ministry for the group "in the interests of cohesion".

It has been suggested that disabilities, which is currently part of Roderic O'Gorman's Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, would be represented by an independent super junior minister who would attend Cabinet. 

Department reorganisation

Finian McGrath previously held such a role between 2016 and 2020. Sources said that reorganisation of departments and discussion over who will lead them would be "one of the last things agreed" in what has been dubbed a "crunch week". 

However, there is widespread agreement that portfolios will be rearranged under the next Government.

A Fianna Fáil source said that it was "safe to assume there'll be a voice at Cabinet level" for independents, and there will be work undertaken this week to ensure that the programme for Government agreed by the two parties is acceptable when Independents join the talks.

The lion's share of the work will be done by then

Parties had hoped to have a programme agreed by the end of this week to facilitate membership votes that would pave the way for a new Taoiseach to be elected when the Dáil reconvenes on January 22, but there is acceptance that that timeline may be "too tight" to be achieved — with the following week now seen as more likely. 

One senior source called the date "realistic, but difficult to achieve", while another said that "logistics" will likely see a deal agreed around January 18 before being put to respective party memberships. 

Fianna Fáil members would have to approve the deal at a special ard fheis, but this was held online in 2020 and could be done so again. 

'Special conference'

Fine Gael's procedure, however, is likely to be slower. 

The ratification procedure for a programme for Government was debated at the Fine Gael ard fheis earlier this year, and it was agreed there that the party would hold a "special conference on one day and in one location, or over multiple days and at different locations", and that the voting system would be similar to the party's leadership elections which sees an electoral college system employed.

Party sources said that it is likely that Fine Gael will hold a number of local events and employ regional voting.

On Monday, negotiation teams from the two parties met to discuss both climate and transportation — with one senior member of a negotiating team saying that talks are "progressing well". However, they were unwilling to put a date on when a deal is likely to be signed off. 

Sources said that meetings will continue throughout the week with "a wider meeting" on Friday.

Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin met on Monday for a meeting to assess where talks are, with growing belief that the two men will swap roles within the coming weeks as Fianna Fáil takes the first rotation at the Taoiseach's office.