Harris bid to Si-gn ‘em up LEADER TO COURT INDEPENDENT TDS
FINE Gael leader Simon Harris is arranging meetings this week with Independent TDs who he hopes will back him in a pending Dail vote to become Taoiseach.
Deputies Denis Naughten, Peter Fitzpatrick, Noel Grealish, Matt Shanahan and Cathal Berry confirmed they expect to meet Mr Harris, while Tipperary TD Michael Lowry might also meet him.
Confirming he would meet the Fine Gael leader, Mr Grealish said: “Yes. I will be meeting him before the vote next Tuesday.”
Mr Naughten also confirmed to RTE he would be meeting with Mr Harris, texting: “Yes. Will be meeting him.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said he had spoken to Mr Harris on the phone and would be meeting him before the return of the Dáil.
Reiterate
Deputy Shanahan said: “I’m looking forward to hearing him reiterate his significant concern to address the many stalled investments in Waterford, a number of which he was/is directly involved: cardiac schedule and promised capital builds at University Hospital Waterford, as well as comprehensive funding to South East Technical University and airport.”
Independent TD Marc McSharry has said he will back Mr Harris next week due to his “personal attention to the amalgamation of St Angela’s College with the Atlantic Technological University”.
Mr Harris can expect not to get the votes of 12 independent TDs: Verona Murphy, Michael Healy-Rae, Danny Healy-Rae, Violet Anne-Wynne, Marian Harkin, Mattie McGrath, Michael McNamara, Thomas Pringle, Michael Collins, Michael Fitzmaurice, Richard O’Donoghue and Joan Collins.
Trigger
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy urged Independent TDs to vote against Mr Harris and trigger a general election, declaring that supporting the new Taoiseach means Independents will be “... voting for a continued crisis in housing, health and disability services, and in the cost-of-living”.
Mr Harris said he planned to “flesh-out” his policy plans for Government at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Galway next Saturday, and these would include housing, crime and backing small businesses.
He declined to give any information on the make-up of his new Cabinet, but Longford-Westmeath TD and Minister of State Peter Burke is widely being tipped for a senior ministry.