Fallon's Town Talk: Roscommon attention will centre on Daly’s junior ministerial prospects
Ballygar GP Dr. Martin Daly is lifted shoulder high by supporters following his election for the Roscommon Galway constituency. Pic: Gerard O'Loughlin
For years Micheál Martin seemed destined to be the answer to a quiz question: who was the first Fianna Fáil leader who never became Taoiseach? On Wednesday, Martin is set to become the head of government for the second time. His feat in restoring FF to its position as the largest political party in the state means he will hold the position for just under three years. It represents a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of both Martin and FF from the nadir of the 2011 general election.
The new coalition won’t have much of a honeymoon, the delay in forming a government has seen to that. In fairness, the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president along with other factors, brought a belated haste to negotiations which ensured the programme for government was ready for this week.
The programme is high on aspirations without promising too many specifics; in other words, it’s politics as normal. The government is already off to a shaky start given the antics of the Regional Independent group.
No sooner had the seven Regional Independents and the Healy-Rae brothers signed up to the programme for government than the four deputies who didn’t get junior ministerial positions wanted to form a new technical group to obtain speaking rights in the Dáil, apparently from the opposition benches. It would be funny if it wasn’t so ludicrous and doesn’t augur well for the coherence of the new administration.
The independents have already discovered that the reviled carbon tax is here to stay. It is plausible that we will be treated to the sight of junior minister for Agriculture, Michael Healy-Rae, having to support carbon tax and other unpopular environmental measures while his brother Danny is railing against them from the opposition benches. It could all get surreal.
The next, and most juicy, phase of government formation is the announcement of cabinet ministers, which should take place on Wednesday evening, and then the allocation of the whopping 23 junior ministerial positions.
All eyes in this constituency will be focused on Dr Martin Daly with genuine hopes that he could become a junior minister, with a position in the Department of Health the obvious fit.
The obstacle to Dr Daly is that he is a first-time TD but he put himself in the frame when he excelled on a television debate about health soon after the election. It will be a welcome and much-needed boost for Roscommon and East Galway if the Ballygar doctor gets the nod.
Patrick Kielty brings a different persona to the ‘Late Late Show’ chair than his predecessors. Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Ryan Tubridy barely tried to disguise their lack of interest in sport, especially Gaelic Games. Kielty, an All-Ireland minor football medal winner with Down, is a refreshing change in that respect.
Last year Kielty had a special GAA show along the lines of the Late Late's well-established Country Music special. It was very enjoyable. Last Friday, Kielty tried to repeat the trick with a special programme to coincide with the start of the national league next weekend.
Unfortunately, the show was a damp squib. ‘When I Grow Up, I Want to Play County’ by The 2 Johnnies is actually a catchy song, but that’s where the contribution of the Tipp duo should have been left.
The 2 Johnnies have been portrayed as either the successors to the D’Unbelievables or a rural Irish equivalent of Ant ‘n’ Dec. The problem is they aren’t that funny. Pat Spillane’s autobiography is a surprisingly enjoyable read, but last Friday Spillane was back to his ‘Sunday Game’ persona.
The lowest point came when Seamus Darby, scorer of arguably the most famous goal in football history, was wheeled out as a punch-line to a quiz question about Spillane. Darby just sat there as The 2 Johnnies continued to talk. It was a shabby way to treat a renowned GAA figure.
The exception to the general torpor was a no holds barred interview between the host and GAA president Jarlath Burns. At times, Kielty is a throwback to Gay Byrne with his interviewing style and he didn’t shirk asking difficult questions about three major off-field GAA controversies.
Burns was resolute in defending his decision to send an email to the Naas club about Rory Gallagher’s potential appointment as their manager, but was less convincing when questioned about comparisons between Gallagher and the situation surrounding Limerick hurler, Kyle Hayes. The fall-out from the Gallagher issue may come to be one of the defining issues of the presidency of Burns who has impressed since he took office.
