Healy-Rae says he has ‘grave reservations’ about Taoiseach after resigning

By Cillian Sherlock, Grainne Ni Aodha and Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

A junior minister in the Government has resigned over its handling of the fuel protests, saying he has “grave reservations” about the Taoiseach's leadership.

Michael Healy-Rae was among several independent TDs who supported the formation of a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, but told the Dáil on Tuesday he was stepping down as a minister of state over the handling of fuel protests.

He also voted against the Government in a confidence motion on Tuesday.

The Taoiseach had no prior warning before  Healy-Rae announced his resignation in the Dáil, a spokesperson for Micheal Martin said.

Spokespeople for Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris said the development was “disappointing”.

Speaking outside Leinster House, Healy-Rae was asked if Martin was the “right man” for the job. He replied: “I have grave reservations, and that’s why I did what I did today.”

When asked if the coalition government would survive, he said “that is up to people supporting the Government”.

During his speech to the Dáil he criticised Martin and said he “should have listened” to the concerns of people who protested about the impact of fuel costs on the agricultural and transport sectors.

Healy-Rae also announced his resignation as minister of state with responsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture within the Department of Agriculture.

He had supported the Government formation alongside his brother Danny Healy-Rae, both independent TDs for Kerry, and who both voted against the Government.

The outgoing minister said he had listened to protesters and canvassers as he thanked his family, friends and constituency workers.

“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.

“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.

“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 side of the Dáil, he said: “There were people that cried at the protests. And these were workers, these were respectable people.

“They are the people that I represented since the first day I started.”

Healy-Rae said the people of Kerry are telling him they are unhappy with Government and do not want to see “any Healy-Rae supporting it”.

He referenced his father Jackie Healy-Rae who entered into confidence and supply with Fianna Fáil and said: “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.

“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.”

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said he regretted the resignation of Healy-Rae, whom he described as a good colleague within the Department.

Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill also paid tribute to him.

Asked if Healy-Rae’s junior minister position would be replaced, a spokesperson for the Taoiseach said Government would consider “next steps”.

A spokesperson for Simon Harris said the Tánaiste respected the decision, describing Healy-Rae as a “good colleague” and “good minister”.