Maverick politician who has dealt with a series of crises

Profile John Halligan

JOHN HALLIGAN lives in the political maverick corner. Even as the 70-day government-making marathon talks drew to a close in May 2016, Leinster House colleagues did not believe he would join the hybrid minority Coalition.

Government responsibility and defending hard political choices were deemed “just not him”. And once he did join, he then had a “should I stay or should I go” crisis each month for the first four months. In each case, he stayed.

Mr Halligan ended his first crisis, a fortnight after taking up the post of junior education minister, by deciding he did not, after all, have to vote against the Government, and with Sinn Féin, on a water charges motion.

He actually won through his second crisis and supported a private member’s motion on abortion, in spite of advice from the Attorney General.

In a stand-off, he and his Independent Alliance colleagues obliged the entire Coalition not to take any position on the issue – to the anger of Fine Gael.

In September 2016, when the Apple €13bn back-tax row erupted, he first wanted to see the money clawed back for health and education.

He also told RTÉ radio he would prefer the Dáil, and not the Government, to decide on an appeal in the Apple case.

And then he backed the Government appeal decision a day later.

The sensitive issue of cardiac services at Waterford University Hospital presented the fourth crisis, which for a time appeared a definite resignation issue.

Then Mr Halligan secured a compromise on the issue – although it still remains contentious.

Along the way, he attracted attention for singular stances on issues like the right to die, and questioning a legal ban on paying for sex. He has also been unabashed about his belief in other forms of life beyond planet Earth, and has in the past sent his constituents alien-themed Christmas cards, complete with ET references and spaceships.

But up to last week, there was an assumption that he had stepped back from maverick politics and focused far more on his mainstream political duties.

Then he revealed that he and Independent Alliance colleagues were trying to set up a peace mission to North Korea to avert the threat of nuclear war.

He said: “I don’t know if we’ll meet Kim Jong-un himself, but we hope to meet government officials and our objective would be to talk about democracy and cultural exchanges, to talk about bringing North Korea out of this dark eclipse where they have very little contact with the West.”

However the plan faced a backlash, drawing widespread criticism and considerable ridicule.

Yet, for all of that, John Halligan is well liked at Leinster House, where he is known as a sincere politician with a high work rate.

He is the father of three children, who has been separated from his first wife for many years.

Earlier this year he married his partner of 20 years in a quiet ceremony.