FINANCE minister Michael Noonan has asked Michael Healy-Rae, an independent TD from Kerry, if he would support a Fine Gael-Labour coalition after the general election. Healy-Rae said the conversation took place “a few months ago” and he did not commit to anything.
“It was discussed by him, not by me,” said Healy-Rae. “I just listened. He was saying he could see it being an option and I said the first thing I have to do is get elected and whatever I do after will be for the betterment of the people of Kerry. I’m not in any hurry to jump into bed with Fine Gael or with anyone for that matter.”
Healy-Rae is one of the few independent TDs who has not aligned to any of the new political groups that have formed since the last election. Others include Tipperary TDs Michael Lowry and Mattie McGrath, and Noel Grealish, a Galway West TD.
Last February, Noonan told a Bloomberg audience in London he believed there were a number of independents who would support a Fine Gael-Labour coalition. The minister predicted that in a “devastating election”, Fine Gael would win 60 seats, with 20 for Labour. This would be enough for a majority, but the independent TDs would provide stability.