Healy-Rae faces loss of Dáil committee seat following no-confidence vote

Danny Healy-Rae. Picture: Dan Linehan

Danny Healy-Rae is to lose his seat on the Oireachtas Agriculture and Food Committee, following his recent vote of no confidence in the government.

According to a source, the ​government chief whip Mary Butler has asked he be "discharged" from his duties and replaced by Fianna Fáil TD, Michael Cahill.

The move is due to be discussed next week.

Danny Healy-Rae was one of 78 TDs to vote no confidence in Micheál Martin’s government.

He later rejected claims by Minister Norma Foley he had influenced brother Michael’s decision to resign from his ministerial role in the government, which survived the confidence vote with 92 votes.

Mrs Foley had also claimed on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that an arrangement had been made that indicated both brothers, who had been part of government formation talks at the start of last year, would support the government.

Mr Healy-Rae had spoken of how he was very unhappy with the way the Taoiseach had handled the recent fuel protests, including those at Cork’s Whitegate refinery.

Mr Healy-Rae frequently speaks on agricultural matters, and recently told the Dáil how proud he was to be on the committee.

In May 2025, he said: “I am glad to be a member of the agriculture committee because it is very relevant to the work I do for people.

“It is a great committee and we can do a lot for the people we represent if we work together.” 

This afternoon he told the Irish Examiner: "I have only just found out (he is to lose his committee seat).

"Frankly, given the way I have been treated by the government in general, and Micheál Martin in particular, they can try whatever they want.

"In the build up to the no-confidence vote I was treated patronisingly by various senior members of the government and with contempt.

"But I should stress, I am on that committee as an independent member, and not as part of the government.

"They wanted to make me chair of the committee but I had refused because I felt it would tie me to the government in that role."