{"id":277382,"date":"2026-01-10T08:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T08:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/277382\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T08:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T08:32:08","slug":"michael-healy-rae-loses-the-room-with-grandstand-performance-over-mercosur-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/277382\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Healy-Rae loses the room with grandstand performance over Mercosur \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael Healy-Rae<\/a> was very vexed this week. <\/p>\n

And a lot of people are \u201cvery vexed\u201d with him too.<\/p>\n

The Minister of State for Danny Healy-Rae<\/a>, Kerry<\/a> and Agriculture blew several gaskets in the lead-up to the announcement that Ireland is not backing the massive EU<\/a>–Mercosur<\/a> free-trade deal. <\/p>\n

Why MHR was so exercised about the possibility of a Coalition U-turn on a commitment to oppose Mercosur is a little confusing in the light of the statement he rushed out as soon as Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> confirmed the decision on Thursday. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government has stated its position clearly and it is a position that was never in doubt as far as I am concerned,\u201d he declared. <\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t mention the previous day\u2019s ructions at a lengthy online meeting of the Regional Independent Group when his doubts had him urging the group to put out a \u201cred-line issue\u201d statement indicating they could withdraw from Government if Ireland approved the deal. <\/p>\n

Some say MHR\u2019s attention-seeking antics in the run-up to Thursday\u2019s official confirmation of the decision were simply a predictable display of grandstanding for his rural base. <\/p>\n

But no.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile others grandstand from the sidelines, we have been working diligently behind the scenes on the issues that really matter, like Mercosur,\u201d he said in a press release on Friday morning. The press release was headed: \u201cMinister Michael Healy-Rae Confirms Ireland will Vote Against Mercosur\u201d. <\/p>\n

Unlike those others, he didn\u2019t grandstand from the sidelines. He did it up front and centre.<\/p>\n

One of his complaints was that the Taoiseach and T\u00e1naiste were not listening to the group on the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael and Danny were in total agreement and they made it quite clear at the meeting: it\u2019s their way or no way,\u201d said one observer. \u201cIt went on for hours and there was skin and hair flying when the Healy-Raes were pushing for the red-line statement. Then the WhatsApps were flying after that.\u201d <\/p>\n

As the D\u00e1il was not in session, most TDs were not in Leinster House and contributed remotely. One of them appeared to be \u201cup a mountain somewhere with snow behind them\u201d.<\/p>\n

The showboating by the junior minister for agriculture (stoutly supported by his brother Danny) has not gone down well with the other members of the Regional Independents, most of whom have strong support in the farming community. <\/p>\n

All the members of the group were staunchly opposed to this Mercosur deal.<\/p>\n

MHR\u2019s \u201cantics\u201d, as well as remarks by other members of the group, did not go unnoticed by the Taoiseach either.<\/p>\n

A Merrion Street insider said: \u201cSome of the Independents got a fair lashing from him (the Taoiseach) when he beamed in from China to talk to them. <\/p>\n

\u201cEfforts were ongoing to try and get safeguards that could satisfy Ireland and there was Michael, out on the media talking about how bad he was being treated. It was no way to do business.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Healy-Raes\u2019 plan for a red-line ultimatum statement was voted down by the Regional Independents. It would have looked great, framed alongside the one the following day welcoming the decision which was never once doubted by a Healy-Rae.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people are vexed with them,\u201d confides our confidant. <\/p>\n

Healy-Rae faces prospect of flights without his cap<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder Michael Healy-Rae was a bit all over place last week. <\/p>\n

He was waiting for a very important announcement from China. <\/p>\n

And no. It wasn\u2019t about Mercosur. Sure, didn\u2019t he know how that was going to work out all along?<\/p>\n

This was a far more serious matter. <\/p>\n

Ryanair boss Micheal O\u2019Leary<\/a> wouldn\u2019t have helped his mood either with his latest broadside at the Taoiseach over the removal of the passenger cap from Dublin <\/a>Airport<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"DublinDublin Airport is primed for greater footfall.
\nPhotograph: Alan Betson\/The Irish Times<\/p>\n

In a statement issued by the airline on Tuesday, O\u2019Leary called on Miche\u00e1l Martin to \u201cscrap the cap\u201d before the end of this month. <\/p>\n

Scrap the passenger cap at Dublin Airport? <\/p>\n

If that happens, poor MHR won\u2019t be able to darken the doors of Dublin Airport for a flight ever again. He is so attached to his emotional-support cap that he was given a special dispensation from the Oireachtas authorities years ago to bypass the rules and wear his trademark headgear at all times in the D\u00e1il chamber.<\/p>\n

The Kerry TD may have been hoping that the Government would never get around to actually legislating for the end of the cap in Ireland\u2019s biggest and busiest airport. <\/p>\n

But on Thursday, the Taoiseach broke the bad news. <\/p>\n

Speaking from Shanghai as the Year of the Snake nears an end, Miche\u00e1l Martin confirmed that the cap will be banished from Dublin Airport later this year.<\/p>\n

Ryanair reacted swiftly to welcome the move, saying the failure to scrap the cap was \u201can international embarrassment for Ireland\u201d. <\/p>\n

Which was a bit harsh on Deputy Healy-Rae.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Leary pouts and shouts and finally gets heard<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rather ironic for the passenger-hungry boss of a major airline to be berating somebody for travelling abroad too much. <\/p>\n

But that\u2019s what Ryanair boss Michael O\u2019Leary did this week when ramping up the pressure on the Government to remove Dublin Airport\u2019s 32 million passenger cap as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Leary says the Taoiseach has been far too busy travelling around the globe and \u201cglad-handing world leaders\u201d to do anything about the cap, despite a promise to scrap it in the Programme for Government. <\/p>\n

The Westmeath-based aviation tycoon \u2013 he\u2019s such a loss to the diplomatic world \u2013 has no time for the Taoiseach. In a recent interview with the Sunday Independent, he declared: \u201cWe\u2019re going to go after Miche\u00e1l Martin because he\u2019s useless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RyanairRyanair chief executive Michael O’Leary. Photograph: Jason Alden\/Bloomberg <\/p>\n

Which, in O\u2019Leary\u2019s world, amounts to calling him names. <\/p>\n

The Ryanair boss says: \u201cMiche\u00e1l \u2018Marco Polo\u2019 Martin claims his overseas tours deliver jobs \u2013 they don\u2019t!\u201d <\/p>\n

It is now time for the \u201cDo Nothing Taoiseach\u201d to \u201cstop touring and start delivering\u201d, by scrapping the passenger cap for a start.<\/p>\n

This will mean more routes, services and new jobs this summer \u2013 and \u201cit might open up even more overseas travel opportunities for \u2018Marco Polo\u2019 Martin\u201d. <\/p>\n

And even more opportunities for Michael O\u2019Leary to go after Miche\u00e1l Martin.<\/p>\n

Two days after the Ryanair statement, the Taoiseach made his Shanghai announcement about removing the cap. <\/p>\n

The bolshie beef farmers win again.<\/p>\n

Although, it is quite the compliment to compare a Taoiseach leading trade missions to the Orient with Marco Polo. <\/p>\n

The great Venetian merchant and explorer buckles O\u2019Leary\u2019s overdone swash by a mile.<\/p>\n

Christmas holidays stretch far in the D\u00e1il<\/p>\n

Leinster House is slowly gearing up for action again. <\/p>\n

Although, for those misfortunate mortals who returned to work this week (which would be most people), it is hard to understand why our TDs and Senators aren\u2019t back in business in their respective chambers too. <\/p>\n

There was an unwelcome revisiting of Covid times with the online meetings held to discuss Mercosur. Fine Gael held a hastily arranged online parliamentary party meeting on the subject on Thursday evening, while the Taoiseach had to participate in various online meetings from China. <\/p>\n

Staff and the few politicians back at base weren\u2019t impressed to see the towering Christmas tree in the Leinster House 2000 building still glittering away with all the lights on, while the appearance of turkey and ham on the menu didn\u2019t do much to improve that January feeling. <\/p>\n

Opposition to Mercosur felt a little lukewarm<\/p>\n

The D\u00e1il reaction to Ireland\u2019s decision not to vote for the Mercosur deal, which was approved by a qualified majority vote after months and years of haggling, should be interesting. <\/p>\n

Voices from outside the very successful agriculture\/beef industry lobby are only being heard now that the EU deal has been approved, despite Ireland\u2019s opposition.<\/p>\n

Will that stance damage Ireland\u2019s credibility on the international stage? <\/p>\n

When Mercosur was being discussed, where were the competing voices arguing that the deal could be of huge benefit to a country more reliant on international trade than almost any other place on the globe? <\/p>\n

The Government might say otherwise, but there were indications in recent days that it was looking to find an acceptable way not to oppose the agreement.<\/p>\n

The beef farmers, who may or may not suffer a negative impact from the agreement, have spectacularly carried the argument. <\/p>\n

But while the Government maintained its objections to the deal on the critical vote, it was probably secretly rooting for the other side.<\/p>\n

Will this fascination situation be teased out when the D\u00e1il gets back to business?<\/p>\n

And could it mean an end to TDs standing up and complaining that the Government doesn\u2019t care for people who live outside the Red Cow roundabout?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Michael Healy-Rae was very vexed this week. And a lot of people are \u201cvery vexed\u201d with him too.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[9,10,13,14,6,11,12,15,16,31095,1843,5283,5765,55915,5,7,8,65,66,67],"class_list":{"0":"post-277382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-featured-news","11":"tag-featurednews","12":"tag-headlines","13":"tag-latest-news","14":"tag-latestnews","15":"tag-main-news","16":"tag-mainnews","17":"tag-mercosur","18":"tag-michael-oleary","19":"tag-michael-healy-rae","20":"tag-micheal-martin","21":"tag-miriam-lord","22":"tag-news","23":"tag-top-stories","24":"tag-topstories","25":"tag-world","26":"tag-world-news","27":"tag-worldnews"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115869879166272472","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}