Fine Gael may back Verona Murphy as next Ceann Comhairle
Wexford TD Verona Murphy looks set to get the backing of Fine Gael in her bid to become the first female Ceann Comhairle.
The Fine Gael party will meet on Tuesday evening to discuss the nomination for the Dáil's chair, with a senior party source saying there will be "very few rebels" against the idea of voting in a secret ballot for the former Fine Gael election candidate.
The support of Fine Gael, combined with that of independents and others, will give Ms Murphy the support of around 60 TDs, meaning that the final result will largely hinge on Fianna Fáil.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin will meet his party on Tuesday and sources said that they expect him to support the nomination of Ms Murphy as a means to pave the way for a deal to form a government with regional independents.
However, within Fianna Fáil there is some unease at that idea, with some TDs wanting instead to vote for someone from their own ranks - — outgoing Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl has submitted nomination papers, as has John McGuinness.
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Cork North-West TD Michael Moynihan had emerged over the weekend as a consensus candidate, but has yet to file his nomination papers.
It is understood that he will make his intentions known on Tuesday ahead of the 6pm filing deadline.
Mr Moynihan has a bank of support within Fianna Fáil, but sources have questioned whether Fine Gael's support of Ms Murphy and the fact that there are already two Fianna Fáil nominees in the running will make him reconsider putting his name forward.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil junior minister James Lawless said that he believed it would be the “wrong move” to overly politicise the role of the Ceann Comhairle, citing that reforms were made to ensure the position was independently elected by secret ballot.
“In a way, it’s probably the wrong move to overly politicise it," Mr Lawless said:
It should be someone who is selected as a voice for the parliament and as someone who can make sure that everybody, be that a government backbencher or opposition or whatever side gets to contribute to the workings of the Dáil.
Pressed if he believed that the role should not form part of government negotiations, Mr Lawless said that was not necessarily his view.
“I’m saying it’s not something that’s being traded at the moment, but I can see the argument being made.”
Mr Lawless declined to say which of the Fianna Fáil candidates he would back, insisting that it was a secret ballot.
