Government majority increases by 1

[David Cochrane]

A 35-year rift between Fianna Fáil and the Blaney organisation in Donegal, which began after the Arms Crisis, ended yesterday when Independent TD Niall Blaney agreed to a merger of the two organisations and became a Government deputy, writes Stephen Collins, Irish Times.

Other coverage

Blaney gets his apology as FF finally get their man - Irish Independent

McDaid reverses decision to retire as Blaney joins FF - Irish Examiner

[oreiley1]

The government majority may rise by one for the moment. However this will throw the FF organisation and the Blaney organisation into chaos. A lot of these people hate each other so there will be friction. And particularly so as three battle for two seats in the election.

[Rapisco]

Does he smoke a pipe?

[rover]

bertie ahern said:

“In a spirit of reconciliation similar to the Peace Process on this island, I am glad that the hand of friendship is being extended by both sides and that we can close this long division in our shared history,”

For gods sake you´d swear the israelis and the palestinians had just reached everlasting peace

[Rapisco]

bertie ahern said:

“In a spirit of reconciliation similar to the Peace Process on this island, I am glad that the hand of friendship is being extended by both sides and that we can close this long division in our shared history,”

For gods sake you´d swear the israelis and the palestinians had just reached everlasting peace

Thats Bertie!

[returning officer]

Just likle with Brian Lenihan Jnr doing a reading at Mr. Haughey's funeral, it is great to see the long-standing rifts come to an end. The Fianna Fail family is uniting in time for a tough challenge ahead.
(That said McDaid can go and sh**e, if he thinks he is coming back).

[Biffo]

I can't understand Bertie's decision here, surely Niall Blaney was as useful to FF as an independent who supported the government as he now is as a backbencher. An attempt should have been made to find a replacement for McDaid in the Letterkenny area while allowing Blaney to quietly support FF as an independent.

[John_C]

Surley the majority has increased by 2?

[rockofcashel]

Effectively it hasn't increased at all. Blaney was always going to vote for a FF lead Government anyways.

What is does do now, is move FF onto 82 seats. If Bertie were to take O' Hanlon out of the Chair, and give it to an independent, he would effectively give FF and overall majority.

Same goes if he manages to bring the Indo from either Galway, Clare or Monaghan.

Would he kick the PD's to touch ?

I doubt it, but its a possibility.

I'm with Biffo in not understanding why it was done however. This has left some bad blood in IFF and FF in Donegal. No matter what happens with Mc Daid now, whether he gets selected or not, there will be another internal split in FF in Donegal.

They haven't an ice-creams hope in hell of 3 out of 3.

I'll stay with my earlier prediction, and one echoed by David Davin Power on the 6 One news. SF's Padraig Mc Lochlainn will win a seat here next year.