Junior ministry 'going in my direction', says Michael Healy-Rae as deal reached

Danny Healy Rae (left) and Michael Healy Rae speaking at Leinster House. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

Kerry TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae are set to support the incoming government after reaching a deal with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael late on Tuesday.

Discussions with the two Kerry TDs continued late into Tuesday night, with the Healy-Raes having secured a junior ministry for their support of the incoming Government.

With the Healy-Raes support secured, the new government will have a total of 95 TDs supporting it, giving it a comfortable majority above the 87 TDs required.

Michael Healy-Rae has confirmed that he will take up a junior ministerial position, as he and Danny Healy-Rae will back the incoming Government.

Speaking at Leinster House, Mr Healy-Rae said that the junior ministry is “going in my direction” when asked which of the brothers would take up the role.

However, he said that the position he would be allocated would be at the discretion of the new Taoiseach.

He confirmed that the two brothers planned to support the government across the next five budgets and into the next general election in November 2029.

Asked if there was a specific constituency deal for Kerry from the negotiations, Michael Healy-Rae said that he and Danny will ensure that the new government will take on board “the issues and concerns” in Kerry.

“Remember, if they’re in Co Kerry, they’re reflected throughout the rest of the country,” he said.

“Those issues are taken on board at the heart of government. We are going to use our position now, the two of us, in supporting the government and in supporting Kerry in what I would like to call a better and stronger way than what we might have been able to do in the past.”

Later today, the parliamentary parties of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will meet to discuss the draft agreement. 

The Regional Independents are also due to meet to formally accept the agreement.

Under the deal, Micheál Martin will be elected Taoiseach first, with Fianna Fáil taking eight of the 15 Cabinet seats to Fine Gael's seven. The Regional group will be given two super junior roles, with Sean Canney and Noel Grealish set to sit at Cabinet.

The group will also get two junior ministries which will go to Kevin Boxer Moran and Marian Harkin.

Regional group sources said they are "satisfied" their policy document is "strongly" reflected in the overall programme for government.

The deal will see a VAT cut for food, entertainment and hairdressing businesses to 9%, while there will be supports for businesses and farmers.

The document also contains a commitment to enact the Occupied Territories Bill.

Michael Lowry, top negotiator for the Regional Independents, confirmed that the negotiations had concluded on Tuesday afternoon.

"It has been a prolonged, painstaking exercise. We went through it in very meticulous detail. The negotiations have been very intensive," Mr Lowry said, adding that the group is happy with the result and will hold a vote on it on Wednesday.

"I'm pleased and our negotiators are pleased that our policy document and the initiatives that we requested are reflected within the programme for government.

"We look forward now to seeing out the remainder of the process which will come to a conclusion with the formation of a government next Wednesday."

On policy, two new proposed government departments will not be included.

Both taoiseach Simon Harris's proposed Department of Infrastructure and a Fianna Fáil proposal for a Home Affairs department will not be established as standalone departments, but will be housed in the Department of Public Expenditure and Department of Justice, respectively.

Fianna Fáil is expected to take on the Justice department, which will resume oversight of immigration policy under the Home Affairs unit, while Fine Gael is expected to return Paschal Donohoe to the Department of Finance. Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers is expected to lead the Public Expenditure department, which will be in charge of infrastructure and reform.

It is also expected that the Trade portfolio will return to the Department of Foreign Affairs, fuelling speculation that this is where Mr Harris will land when Micheál Martin is elected Taoiseach. The Department of Enterprise, which currently has the Trade competency, will instead take on Tourism from the department led by outgoing minister Catherine Martin.

Decisions on who to appoint to those roles will be made by the party leaders next week, sources said, with the appointment of junior ministers coming a week later.

According to sources, Fine Gael is expected to return Paschal Donohoe to the Department of Finance. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Both Mr Martin and Mr Harris will have room to promote TDs to the ministerial ranks. On the Fianna Fáil side, it has been suggested that junior ministers James Browne, Dara Calleary, Niall Collins, Mary Butler and Thomas Byrne could be considered, while Mr Harris is said to be likely to choose between junior ministers Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Martin Heydon and Hildegarde Naughton.

The loss of the Green Party to the coalition also means that junior ministries will be available to both parties, but sources on both sides said consideration on those names would not come in the next week.

The programme for government will be discussed by the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parliamentary parties on Wednesday, with Fianna Fáil members meeting at a special ard fhéis on Sunday and Fine Gael holding five regional events across the weekend before TDs and Senators meet on Monday.