LAST UPDATE | 4 Apr
SIMON HARRIS IS gaining support from outside of the coalition in Government after meeting with Independent TDs who have said they will give him their backing as Taoiseach next week.
The Minister for Higher Education is expected to be voted as Taoiseach by the Dáil next Tuesday after Leo Varadkar stepped down last month. Harris has now been meeting with a number of TDs from outside Government to secure the vote.
Independent TD for Galway West Noel Grealish has confirmed to The Journal that he met with Harris this morning and has agreed to support his nomination to become Taoiseach next week in the Dáil.
A total of six independent representatives in the Dáil have now agreed to support the new leader of Fine Gael next week after meeting with Simon Harris. One TD, Seán Canney of Galway East, has yet to make a decision.
This comes after fellow-Independent TDs Denis Naughten and Michael Lowry both confirmed yesterday evening that they will be voting for Harris next week after meeting with him earlier during the day.
Naughten confirmed yesterday that he would be supporting Harris as Taoiseach, adding: “I look forward to working with him over the next 12 months as Taoiseach and I’ll be voting for him next Tuesday.”
The Roscommon-Galway TD said he has worked with Harris for 20 years on a number of issues, including on flooding, health and science.
Lowry said he agreed to support the nomination for Harris as Taoiseach after what he labelled a “positive and useful” meeting between them on issues such as small business support, farming and University Hospital Limerick.
According to a statement from the Tipperary TD, Harris expressed “grave concern” over the ongoing overcrowding issues in the Limerick hospital, empathised with the farming community and promised to open Government channels to small businesses.
“I found the meeting to be positive and useful in assisting me to fulfill my continued ambition to give the best possible service to the people of Tipperary I am privileged to represent,” Lowry said.
“Therefore I have agreed to support the nomination of Simon Harris as Taoiseach next Tuesday,” he added.
Last week, Independent TD for Sligo Marc MacSharry confirmed to Harris that he would be supporting his nomination.
MacSharry told The Journal that he made the decision as the Fine Gael leader had committed to amalgamating higher education institution St Angela’s College with the Atlantic Technological University.
He added that the two elections and another referendum in June is “enough for this year” and that Government must focus on other crises instead.
“In the meantime the government and the Oireachtas must urgently focus on addressing the misalignment of policy on our housing emergency, immigration , health and aspects of the circular economy,” he said.
Waterford TD Matt Shanahan told The Journal he is awaiting confirmation of a meeting and discussion of certain regional and national issues before taking a position on Harris.
These include commitments in the Programme for Government referring to developments in Waterford such as Waterford University Hospital and the South East Technological University.
He added that he wants to discuss small business supports and a bailout for farmers affected by the current bad weather.
Galway East TD Seán Canney is reserving his position for the time being after meeting with Harris on Tuesday, as he is waiting for the Minister’s response to a number of issues raised during that discussion.
Suspended Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan has confirmed to The Journal that she plans to support Simon Harris’ nomination next week.
It is understood that former-Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh, who has since been an independent candidate after leaving the party over the Mica Homes scandal, has also given his support to Harris.
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