Lowry emerges as potential kingmaker in government formation talks
North Tipperary Independent TD Michael Lowry has emerged as somewhat of a kingmaker as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael try to do business with him in relation to the formation of a new government.
Mr Lowry is leading the other eight members of the Regional Group of Independent TDs, who are in talks with the two political parties on forming a new coalition to rule the country for the next five years.
To see the North Tipperary TD in such a pivotal role will come as great news for the over 12,000 people in the constituency who gave Mr Lowry their number one vote in the recent election, ensuring he topped the poll for the seventh successive time since becoming an Independent TD in 1997.
Indeed, should the Regional Group of independents eventually end up forming a pact with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, it will surely result in a boon for North Tipperary. Integral to any agreement on supporting a new government will undoubtedly include a deal that should result in significant investment by the new administration in Mr Lowry’s constituency over the lifetime of such a coalition.
It is understood that Mr Lowry and the other eight members of the independent grouping have been submitting policy demands to the negotiating teams over the past fortnight, including packages aimed at State investment in their respective constituencies.
LOWRY DEALS
Mr Lowry is no stranger to the process, having hammered out good deals in the past for his constituency in return for his support in previous administrations.
The Regional Group of TDs are tipped as the favourites to enter coalition after the decision of the Labour Party to rule itself out of the process.
And while the Social Democrats have not yet rejected entering government, virtually all expert predictions point to Mr Lowry’s grouping being favoured. The main reason for this forecast is because a number it the Independents, including the North Tipperary TD, have firm track records in supporting previous governments on controversial decisions in the Dáil.
Mr Lowry not only finds himself at the centre of national media attention as the lead negotiator in the talks, but also over questions in relation to how the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris, can now do business with him after their criticism of him in the past in relation to his highly controversial political career. Yet, the fact that one member of the Regional Group, Verona Murphy, has already been elected as Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil is being seen as an indication that the independent TDs are favoured by Mr Martin and Mr Harris as the third leg of any new ruling coalition that will eventually emerge.