A junior minister in the Government has resigned over its handling of the fuel protests, stating he has “grave reservations” about the Taoiseach’s leadership, reports Breaking News.
Michael Healy-Rae was among several independent TDs who backed the formation of a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, but told the Dáil on Tuesday that he was stepping down as a minister of state due to the handling of the fuel protests, reports Breaking News.
He also voted against the Government in a confidence motion on Tuesday.
The Taoiseach had no advance notice before Healy-Rae announced his resignation in the Dáil, a spokesperson for Micheál Martin said, reports Breaking News.
Spokespeople for Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris described the development as “disappointing”.
Speaking outside Leinster House, Healy-Rae was asked if Martin was the “right man” for the role. He replied: “I have grave reservations, and that’s why I did what I did today,” reports Breaking News.
When asked whether the coalition Government would endure, he said “that is up to people supporting the Government”.
During his address to the Dáil, he criticised Martin, saying he “should have listened” to the concerns raised by those protesting about the impact of fuel costs on agriculture and transport sectors, reports Breaking News.
Healy-Rae also confirmed his resignation as minister of state with responsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture at the Department of Agriculture.
He had supported the Government’s formation alongside his brother Danny Healy-Rae, with both Kerry TDs voting against the Government, reports Breaking News.
The outgoing minister said he had engaged with protesters and constituents, expressing thanks to his family, friends and campaign team.
“I’ve always looked at myself as a gauge of the people of rural Ireland, and I really believe that I am,” he told the Dáil, reports Breaking News.
“When I see people on the side of the road, when I’ve seen grown men crying… when I met tractor men, lorry men, farmers and when they were telling me how unhappy they were, the leader of the country should have listened.
“Because of the fact that I believe this Government have 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 from now, reports Breaking News.
“I would ask that future governments and this Government that they would listen, that they would be kind, that they would be understanding.
“There are farmers that are really suffering so much at present. There are agricultural contractors that are really suffering,”
Speaking from the Government benches, he added: “There were people that cried at the protests. And these were workers, these were respectable people, reports Breaking News.
“They are the people that I represented since the first day I started,”
Healy-Rae said that people in Kerry had told him they were unhappy with the Government and did not want “any Healy-Rae supporting it”.
He referenced his late father Jackie Healy-Rae, who had supported a government through a confidence-and-supply arrangement with Fianna Fáil, reports Breaking News.
“I’m thinking of my late father today, and he supported government when things were bad and things were tough, and I asked him, I went to bed, I said ‘What should I do?’
“And the feeling that I have is the Government and the leader particularly have not listened, reports Breaking News.
“It’s a lesson for people in the future. I adored being a minister in the Department of Agriculture and I thank you all very, very much,”
Martin Heydon said he regretted Healy-Rae’s resignation, describing him as a valued colleague within the department.
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