Marian Harkin has said the Government’s fuel package is the “best in the EU” and she never considered resigning like Michael Healy-Rae.
The Government comfortably defeated a Sinn Féin motion of no confidence in Dáil Éireann yesterday by 92 votes to 78 - despite the two Healy-Rae TDs voting in favour.
Michael Healy-Rae resigned as a Minister of State, insisting that the Government has “let the people of Ireland down”.
On The Claire Byrne Show, Minister Marian Harkin said “genuinely sorry to see him go” and described the Kerry TD as a “great colleague”.
However, she said that the Government’s measures to cut the cost of fuel are having an impact.
“I suppose one of the few small, little positives is this morning I'm getting reports from people about the price of diesel coming down under €2 a litre,” she said.
“I know that's still an outrageous amount of money, but stuff is happening and that makes a huge difference to many people.
“Something shifted last week; this wasn't just another protest.
“And I fully recognise that and it's up to Government to respond to that in the best way we can.”
Fuel protest in Dublin. Picture by: RollingNews.ie.The Sligo-Leitrim TD added the Healy-Rae brothers negotiated to join Government separately from other rural independents and that she did not consider resigning from her ministerial position.
“I looked carefully at the package last week,” Minister Harkin said.
“We were all very much involved in helping to negotiate this.
“Michael [Healy-Rae], as you said, was one of the negotiators, along with Seán Canning and Noel Grealish. Actually, three out of our five Ministers were in there.
“The package is the best per capita in the EU; before Easter, all of the opposition was telling us about Poland and about Spain.
“This is better per capita, the figures show that clearly.”
View this post on Instagram
Also on the programme, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent said Michael Healy-Rae’s resignation caught the Government “on the hop”, although many expected Danny Healy-Rae would vote with Sinn Féin last night.
“There were obviously meetings within the two sides of the family, the Danny side and Michael side,” he explained.
“And ultimately, there is a feeling that there couldn't be a split in the empire, if you like, that there wasn't going to be a case where the Healy-Raes would have one member in and one member out of government and try to campaign on that basis.
“This is a grouping, if not a party, that sends out leaflets with both of their faces on it.”
Main image: Marian Harkin. Picture by: RollingNews.ie.
