Independent TD Verona Murphy has been installed by colleagues as the clear favourite to become the next Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann after she secured the backing of both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for the position.
A few hours after Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told his party’s TDs he was recommending Ms Murphy for the position, Taoiseach Simon Harris followed suit on Tuesday evening.
Ms Murphy, a TD for Wexford, has been nominated by the nine-strong Regional Group of Independent TDs, which is currently in talks with the two outgoing coalition parties on government formation.
If all 48 Fianna Fáil TDs, 38 Fine Gael TDs and the nine Independents support her candidature, Ms Murphy will have a comfortable majority.
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However, as it is a secret ballot, unanimous support from TDs along whip lines cannot be guaranteed, especially as two Fianna Fáil TDs have put their names forward.
The first is outgoing Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who in a series of interviews has argued that it was “not right” to use the position of Ceann Comhairle as a bargaining chip in government negotiations.
He has said that if elected for a third time, he will serve only between 18 to 24 months, to allow the 34th Dáil, which has over 60 new TDs, to settle in.
Mr Ó Fearghaíl’s party colleague John McGuinness, the Carlow-Kilkenny TD, is also running.
Speaking to his party in Leinster House last night, Mr Harris said he was backing Ms Murphy on the basis it would support overall Government formation and allow Fine Gael grow and renew with 38 TDs.
He said it would allow a new Government to be formed in January and this was “:the right thing to do”. He said meaningful discussions on policy were continuing in ongoing negotiations.
The fourth candidate for the position is long-standing Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
Members of the group of Independent TDs are widely seen as the likely source of numbers to ensure a Fianna Fáil coalition with Fine Gael has a Dáil majority.
The group’s pointman for any talks with the two big parties, Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry, was last week said to have been in contact with the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael requesting their parties’ support for Ms Murphy’s election.
At the Fianna Fáil meeting, Cork North-West TD Michael Moynihan, who had also been considering a bid to become ceann comhairle, told the party meeting that he would not be running.
The Irish Times understands that one reason discussed at the meeting for backing Ms Murphy was to maximise Fianna Fáil’s own Dáil strength by not losing one of their number to the ceann comhairle chair.
Fianna Fáil has 48 TDs and should it enter into a coalition with Fine Gael, the two big parties have 86 seats, two short of a majority of 88.
However, should someone from outside their ranks be elected to be Ceann Comhairle they would only need 87 seats for a bare Dáil majority, though in reality the two parties will want a buffer of support over and above that number.
[ Why does the Regional Group of Independents want the ceann comhairle position?Opens in new window ]
Earlier on Tuesday Mr Ó Fearghaíl confirmed that he was contacted by Mr Martin on Monday night and informed the party would be recommending the nomination of Independent TD Verona Murphy for the position.
The Ceann Comhairle said that Mr Martin initially contacted him last week to inform him that the nine-strong Regional Group of Independents (which is involved in talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael) was seeking the position. In another contact last night, Mr Martin confirmed he would be recommending that the party back Ms Murphy for the position.
The two positions will be determined by a secret ballot of the Dáil’s 174 members.
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