Harris ‘obsessed’ with delivery as party meets to mull plan for new government

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he will be “obsessed” with delivery over the next five years when Ireland’s next government is formed.

The Irish premier was speaking as members of his Fine Gael party met in Dublin to begin the process of ratifying the draft programme for government.

Mr Harris also said there needed to be clarification over whether members of the Regional Independents group which will form part of the prospective new government can also form a technical group on the opposition benches.

Following the results of Ireland’s general election in November, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and a group of independent TDs have agreed the plan which is expected to lead to the formation of the new government.

The 162-page programme for government, published this week, includes smaller class sizes, reduced childcare costs and more gardai among its priorities.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is expected to replace Mr Harris as taoiseach when the Dail meets on Wednesday and the new coalition is formed.

He will hold the office for three years before it then reverts back to Mr Harris for another two years.

But first the parties must ratify the draft governmental plan.

Fianna Fail will hold a special Ard Fheis on Sunday.

Fine Gael is holding a series of regional meetings over the coming days.

Speaking before the first meeting got under way, Mr Harris said: “This is a new process for my party, the first time that we are holding a series of regional meetings right across the country where every member who has been a member for two years or more has a vote in our electoral college system.

“It is an opportunity for people to come out, to hear from the people who have negotiated on behalf of Fine Gael the programme for government and then to cast their vote.”

He added: “We have agreed a programme for government that is very true to the Fine Gael manifesto.

“Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and some independents have worked together to put in place really exciting plans about the direction we want to take this country in over the next five years.

“But really the key word here is delivery.

“I think the challenge and opportunity for the new government, which I look forward to playing a leadership role in, is delivery, delivery, delivery.

“That is what I heard from people right across the country.”

Mr Harris said: “That is going to be my absolute obsession and that of my colleagues in government over the next few years.”

The Taoiseach also addressed a controversy after members of the Regional Independent group indicated they want to establish an opposition benches technical group despite also some of the group being in the potential new coalition, which would allow them to have more speaking time in the Dail.

Sinn Fein has said it will oppose the move.

Mr Harris said the new Ceann Comhairle (Dail speaker) Verona Murphy would make a decision on the issue.

He said: “In relation to the issue of where people sit in Dail Eireann, I do think that needs a bit of clarification and thought.

“I think if groups are in government, we need to look and see how the Dail rules can accommodate that and no doubt the Ceann Comhairle will make a decision on that.”

He added: “The Regional Independents are a group in the Dail, that’s their right.

“My understanding is there are members of that group who won’t be in the government.

“There will be some Regional Independents who will hold ministerial office, other Regional Independents who will not hold ministerial office.

“This issue will be resolved and the person who is in a position to resolve it is the Ceann Comhairle.”

Ceann Comhairle Ms Murphy said on Friday night that she has written to all members of the Dail’s Business Committee on the issue.

Ms Murphy invited members of the committee to make submissions to her.

She said: “I will carefully consider the points raised and take any necessary further advice from the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers.”

Following the Dublin Fine Gael meeting, further party meetings will be held across Ireland in the coming days.

Party members will vote in a secret ballot on whether to ratify the programme for government with the results announced on Monday.

Several Dublin representatives attended the meeting on Friday night.

MEP Regina Doherty said she believed the overwhelming response of party members would be that the draft programme for government had “the stamp of Fine Gael”.

She added: “An awful lot of the things we had in our manifesto have now been put into the programme for government.

“What we want to do is get taoiseachs, tanaistes, ministers elected as soon as we can and get down to work.”

Minister of State Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who helped to negotiate the plan, said it was the first opportunity to bring it to the membership.

She added: “We feel as the negotiating team we have put together a programme for government with Fianna Fail and with the independents that does reflect the values of Fine Gael, that does reflect what people have said to us on the doors during the election.”