The Healy-Rae brothers, who are independents and make up two of the five TDs in Kerry, have ruled out joining a rural party.
Michael Fitzmaurice, the Independent TD for Roscommon/Galway, has said a new rural party is needed to target what is a pro Green and anti-farmer movement.
There’s a raft of different problems including nature restoration and farmers need clarity, he said.
“We’re a land of food producers, but the way we're going at the moment we’d nearly prefer to bring it in from Brazil: we need clarity, we need to know where we are going; we need clarity, " Mr Fitzmaurice said on Radio Kerry on Wednesday.
He has also said it is the last chance for rural Ireland and has pointed to the success of a farmers’ party in the Netherlands recent elections.
Two of Kerry’s five TDs are the Independent Healy-Rae brothers, Michael and Danny. This morning the brothers Healy-Rae said they have not been approached but would be reluctant to give up their independent status.
They are already part of the Rural Independents Group to secure maximum speaking time, they said.
They also pointed to the fact that the Healy-Raes in Kerry are backed up by three Healy-Rae councillors representing three of Kerry’s five Municipal districts - the independent councillors, Johnny and Maura, whose father is Danny and Jackie whose father is Michael.
'Shackles' of political parties
Michael Healy-Rae said being an independent means not being bound or “by the shackles” of political parties.
Independents were effective, Michael said. “I am thankful, I am grateful, I was elected as an independent,” Michael said.
Danny Healy-Rae said unlike other TDs they were not in pursuit of high profile positions and believed they served the people of Kerry well as independents.
We don't want State cars... we want to work for the people of Kerry.
“What it is up there for many of them is about getting power and getting positions. What we’re about is representing the people. We don’t want State cars, or we don’t want high profile positions. We want to work for the people of Kerry,” Danny said.
Meanwhile, there is some speculation Kerry will return to two three seaters under the constituencies review currently underway by An Coimisiun Toghchain which will see a minimum of 11 extra TDs in the next Dáil.
The huge county with three peninsulas has been a single constituency since 2016 when it lost a TD.
It takes almost three hours to travel from one end of the single constituency to the other.
The current constituency commission will take into account geography, significant physical features as well as population density under its terms of reference.
Submissions close on 10th May.
