Aindrias Moynihan tipped to be new junior agriculture minister

Cork North-West TD is considered a leading contender for the role left vacant by the shock departure of Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae

Taoiseach Micheál Martin during his visit last month to Campas Iosagáin, Baile Mhúirne, Co Cork, with Dara Calleary TD, Jerry Buttimer TD, and Aindrias Moynihan TD. File picture: Jim Coughlan

The Government will appoint a new junior agriculture minister this week.

It had been expected that the position left vacant by the shock departure of Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae would remain unfilled, but it will now be taken up by a Fianna Fáil TD.

Agriculture committee chairman, Cork North West TD Aindrias Moynihan, is considered a leading contender for the role.

Mr Healy-Rae shocked the Government by stepping down during a motion of confidence in the Government in the midst of the fuel protest crisis.

“Because of the fact that I believe this government has let the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country, and I will be tendering my resignation as a minister of state,” Mr Healy-Rae said at the time.

“The feeling that I have is the government and the leader in particular, has not listened." 

Meanwhile, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan said that the party needs "a plan" to win seats in places like Dublin Central, where it has slipped to a record low vote share. Over the weekend, Fianna Fáil received just 4.2% of votes in the constituency's by-election.

"There will be a lot of thinking about what occurred, and planning needs to be put in place," he said.

"There is no reason why we cannot win a seat in Dublin Central," he added, speaking at Dublin Airport today.

"That's not just the responsibility of the leader, it's the responsibility of everyone within the parliamentary party and indeed the organisation."

Mr O’Callaghan was speaking a day after 34 Polish and Lithuanian men were deported on a flight from the airport.

“These were all people who had been convicted of serious criminal offences,” he said.

EU citizens are permitted to live and work in Ireland under the free movement directive, but he said that comes “subject to very serious conditions”.

“If people have committed serious criminal offences, they lose the privileges that come under the free movement directive.” 

Mr O’Callaghan said he also needs to be “conscious of the concerns of victims”.