The Regional Independent Group will appoint a negotiating team next week for government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael

Third leg of next government beginning to look clearer

by · RTE.ie

The Regional Independent Group is now firmly on course to become the third leg of the next government.

The group has nine TDs: Michael Lowry, Noel Grealish, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, Seán Canney, Marian Harkin, Verona Murphy, Carol Nolan, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole.

It will appoint a negotiating team next week for government formation talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Before that Michael Lowry, the group's lead spokesperson, will sit down with the deputy leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Jack Chambers and Helen McEntee, to put in place the parameters for these talks.

This follows on from a conference call between Michael Lowry, Simon Harris and Micheál Martin in recent days.

One thing is already clear, the group wants to be a fully integrated part of any new government.

Their members will not be content with a role on the fringes of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael administration.

That means they will require a ministerial presence in the new coalition, including a place in cabinet.

Whether that is a super-junior or a full senior ministerial role is unclear at this point.

The group has also sent out an early signal that it wants Wexford TD Verona Murphy to become the first woman elected as Ceann Comhairle.

It is asking Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to support this nomination when the post is voted on in a secret ballot next Wednesday.

The outcome of that vote will be an interesting gauge of the early bond between the group and the two bigger parties.

Technically, Labour could still become part of the next government.

However, in the aftermath of those separate talks between Labour Leader Ivana Bacik and the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, this is viewed as highly unlikely to happen.

Even less so is the possibility of the Social Democrats joining Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government.

Everything then points to a government comprising of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Regional Independent Group presenting itself to the Dáil at some point in January.