An Independent TD who supports the Government has hailed the publication of the Health Service Executive capital plan as an example of his “deal” with the Government coming to fruition – despite its insistence that there are no constituency deals with independent TDs.
Dublin Bay North TD Barry Heneghan, who was part of the group of Dáil deputies led by Michael Lowry during the negotiations on the programme for government, issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming a €240 million investment in the HSE capital plan on projects in his constituency.
“I will continue to follow these projects closely to support their timely delivery, I would like to thank Minister [for Health Jennifer] Carroll MacNeill and her department for this great news,” he said in the statement.
Mr Heneghan’s statement also said: “Former minister for disabilities and current adviser of Mr Heneghan Finian McGrath has said ‘It is great to see the ‘HENEGHAN DEAL’ coming to fruition, long may it continue’.”
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But the Government has said there are no constituency deals, repeatedly declining requests for any details of such agreements with Independents in return for their support by insisting none exist.
Asked about the so-called “Heneghan deal”, Mr Heneghan said the projects announced by the HSE were a “key priority for me from day one in the Dáil and throughout my campaign”.
“If something I’ve fought for gets delivered, I’ll welcome it,” he said.
Asked if he had received assurances about the projects in advance of the formation of government in return for his support, Mr Heneghan replied: “Well, I’m not supporting for the craic.”
The HSE capital plan was identified by the Independent TDs as a key means of ensuring they could be seen to be delivering for their constituents.
In a statement to Tipp FM when the programme for government was agreed and the Government formed, Mr Lowry said the Independent group’s “contribution to the review of the National Development Plan and our input to the HSE capital plan will be central to our ongoing work within Government”.
Senior Government sources dismissed suggestions that Mr Heneghan’s claims were evidence there were commitments for their constituencies as part of the deal with Independent TDs.
One said that “every TD in the country will be announcing whatever victory they can”, adding: “I see his constituency colleague Naoise [Ó Muirí, a Fine Gael TD] also claiming success.”
Mr Heneghan, who was just 26 when he was elected to the Dáil last year, is advised by former TD and junior minister Finian McGrath – who himself become part of a government from the Independent benches in 2016 when he was appointed a junior minister by Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny.
