TWO Killarney men are playing key roles in the Healy-Rae negotiating team as the effort to form a new government intensifies.
Killarney publican Paudie O’Callaghan and experienced political campaigner Risteard Ó Lionáird were both by Deputy Michael Healy-Rae’s side as he arrived for a difficult day of negotiations with Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny.
The Kilgarvan TD – the biggest vote winner in the country – was flanked by his sister Rosemary, who is a barrister, and his son Kevin as well as the Killarney duo whose views and experience he respects.
Mr O’Callaghan, who runs The Fáilte Hotel in Killarney, was by the TD’s side throughout the general election campaign and at almost every public engagement leading up to and since polling day.
Mr Ó Lionáird, a property developer, was very close to the late Jackie Healy-Rae and he divulged last year that during tense negotiations following the 1997 election, Jackie had been offered a ministerial role if he supported Fine Gael.
Mr Ó Lionáird told an RTÉ documentary that the then TD later used that offer to his advantage when he struck his famous deal with Fianna Fail’s Bertie Ahern.
“Jackie didn’t want a ministerial car and he never set out to have one. He had this famous saying that he had his own car.”
“At the same time, if the government that was eventually formed hadn’t been formed, he would eventually have had to go with them because he was in it to achieve the best result and the best outcome for his constituency,” Mr Ó Lionáird said.
In a possible case of political history repeating itself, there is growing speculation now that Michael Healy-Rae could be offered the position of Minister for Rural Affairs in return for his support but whether the astute campaigner would accept that post is uncertain.
The outgoing Taoiseach is understandably anxious to keep both Michael and Danny Healy-Rae on side as he struggles to hammer out a deal that would see FG retain power with the support of a number of Independents.
Mr Kenny’s face-to-face meeting with Michael Healy-Rae was described as “intense” and there are reports that a there had been a very frank and heated exchange of views between the Kerry TD and outgoing Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, earlier in the week.
