‘I only loaned my vote’ says Harkin
SLIGO-LEITRIM Independent TD Marian Harkin has come in for some sharp criticism for her support of a new Taoiseach who didn’t appoint a single senior minister from the North West, West or Mid West in his new cabinet.
The new historic coalition of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party saw Micheal Martin elected Taoiseach on Saturday and it will have a majority big enough that it doesn’t need the support of any independent TDs, nine of whom backed the FF leader.
Deputy Harkin insisted to The Sligo Champion this week that she had ‘ loaned’ her vote to aid the formation of a government at the Convention Centre last Saturday.
Deputy Harkin says she is “disappointed” at the lack of regional balance in the new Cabinet.
“I am really disappointed,” Deputy Harkin told The Sligo Champion.
“I feel that Micheál Martin took a poor decision, a wrong decision. And a thing that is important to say is that all three leaders were involved, the responsibility is Micheál Martin’s, he’s the Taoiseach, but each of the leaders chose their ministers.
There were no ministers chosen from Donegal down to Limerick.
“All of their policy documents talk about balanced regional development, it’s part of the programme for government, but, we all know that geography matters.
“I don’t know why they didn’t look at the country as a whole and say we want to ensure a balanced Cabinet. Balance means geography - it’s not the only thing, but it is an important part of it.”
Deputy Harkin was involved, at various stages, in discussions with the larger parties with regard to helping form part of a new administration.
However, in the end, the deal struck between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party was enough to secure a Dáil majority.
On the way she voted last Saturday, Deputy Harkin explained: “I voted for the formation of government, I said I would loan my vote for the day because we’re 140 days trying to get a government together.
“We played as positive and proactive a role as we could in that, but we weren’t needed at the end, they had the numbers, and I felt that the country needs a government.
“Up to that we were being governed by 35 Fine Gael TDs who themselves even felt that they didn’t have the mandate and we had three parties who had an agreement and who have a majority in the Dáil.
“I think it was time to have a government. In my view, having been part of what happened, at one level, on the periphery, for the last 140 days, there was no other possible combination, I just could not see it, I couldn’t see where it would come from and this was the only combination there was.
“They command a majority in the Dáil, that’s our system of democracy so I said for the day I would loan my vote, I made the commitment and I didn’t walk back from it.
“My vote wasn’t needed but nonetheless we need a government. Now, from here, it’s how they deliver.
“In a strange way, there was such a level of anger and disappointment yesterday and today [Monday] that already several senior ministers have come out and said they will deliver for the regions, they will deliver for the west and it has perhaps highlighted that issue.
“If Dara Calleary had been appointed, it would have taken a lot of the anger out of it, but in fact if we were to get pro-rata appointments we’d be looking at three senior ministers.
“But, because we have none, the level of anger is such that it will be constantly under review, people will constantly be looking at delivery, and obviously that’s the job of the TDs that are elected but in a strange way it may put balanced regional development into focus in a way it wasn’t there before because the choices of the three political leaders didn’t reflect that, individually or collectively.”
As the new government gets to work on implementing the programme for government, Deputy Harkin has made it clear that she will vote on legislation on a case-by-case basis.
She also believes that the geographical imbalance in the spread of ministries may be softened by a greater allocation of junior ministries to the west and north west - including Sligo-Leitrim.
“I made that clear on Saturday, I intervened twice and said that I was loaning my vote.
“It was for the day, to form a government, and a government is both the Taoiseach and a Cabinet.
“If there is a policy, a piece of legislation, a budget going through the Dáil that I believe serves the interests of this constituency well, then I will vote for it, if I believe it doesn’t, I won’t. I will work through committees to try and influence that and change it, and it’ ll be interesting to see if some of these ministers who have been appointed will be willing to work with the committee system to take amendments to improve legislation to make a difference for delivery to the regions.
“I think it was a misstep by all three of them but maybe, just maybe, it will highlight the issue further and I expect, but of course I don’t know, an effort will be made to address that imbalance by the appointment of some junior ministers.
“So we may get a number of them and perhaps even we will get some in this constituency, I would expect that we will. So while that won’t redress it in its entirety, they still have some opportunity to go part of the way to make a difference.”
Meanwhile, MEP Chris MacManus said the electorate will not see the change they very clearly voted for.
“I think it’s very clear that this government isn’t the type of change that so many people voted for. For too long the state has been run by two parties who always prioritise those at the top and because of that workers and families have paid the price.
“The vested interests will continue to be protected now that austerity is back on the table. We need a growth led recovery and not more of the same – what we saw the last time FF were in government.”
MacManus stated that Sinn Féin will lead a determined, energetic opposition.
“There is no doubt that incoming ministers will have to be at the top of their brief because they will be matched by a very energetic, very determined Sinn Féin leading the opposition. We will hold them to account and continue to champion the change that so many people want.
“Mary Lou will outline our frontbench team later this week and there is huge talent and diversity among our 37 TDs. An effective opposition can achieve change, can bring forward solutions and can force the government to act.”