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Breaking: Sligo TDs Eamon Scanlan and Jimmy Devins Resigns Fianna Fail Party Whip over Cancer Care in the Northwest
Read more about: Fianna Fail 
TD and former Junior Minsiter Jimmy Devins has resigned the party whip over the withdrawal of cancer services from Sligo hospital. Devin’s is not committing to voting for Fianna Fail in the future – taking every vote as it comes and joins Joe Behan in a powerful position outside the tent as it looks like it might implode. Under the Cancer Control Programme no new symptomatic breast cancer referrals will be accepted at Sligo General from tomorrow.
Update: The Irish Times report that Eamon Scanlon has issued a statement taking the same position. This is now a huge headache for Cowen and a body blow to his leadership. How long can he last?
Devins says he took the decision after a meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen at which he failed to receive any assurances over the future for those seeking cancer treatment in the Northwest.
I have audio of an interview done with Today FM’s Matt Cooper below and there are plenty of rumours of constituency colleage Eamon Scanlon quitting aswell.
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The current Dail maths looks like this:
Government total 85 (Fianna Fáil 74, Green 6, PD 2, Independent 3)
With Devins gone that leaves Fianna Fail on 73 / 84 Govt seats.
Scanlon’s departure brings the whole dynamic with him as FF fall to 72 seats and the goverment to 83 seats. Tehy enjoy a notional advantage of 83-81 but that assumes the boys vote against FF. Devins was clear. He will take each decision as it comes. Meaning that Cowen’s choice is to engage in an auction with two new independents or ride his luck on a wafer thin majority.
The opposition will have a notional 81 (though it is suspect whether Devins and Scanlon vote with them) with one empty seat in Donegal South West.
Ceann Comhairle John O Donoghue should be counted as an FF casting vote however at that point but the 50/50 dynamic empowers anyone who wants to bring down the government.
Make no mistake the government are still safe. For now. But strategists are probing deeply for the next geographical soft spot to weaken them.
Budget could bring down the Government. Not hard to see the lost of a finance bill and automatic need to disolve dail.
Both are gone.
Great news.
Folsk, this is bullshit. Nothing has changed. The two deputies in Sligo will continue to support the Government. This is their way of avoiding cuts in their local bailiwick. It is cynical gombeenism of the worst sort and it is the reason why Irish politics is such a mess.
Tom I agree this is classic FF stuff but for two reasons there might be reason to suspect it isnt business as usual. The first is that this is too little too late for locals – Devins was junior at DOHC and couldnt stop cutbacks and now is the time he picks to make a stand? Scanlons hand was forced by Devins’ move and the whole thing is transparent position taking.
The second is FF are already hammered in that part of the country and with the electorate in the mood they are I dont doubt they will see through this as an effort as FF being their own opposition.
Gombeenism is alive and well but cannot be rewarded ad infinitum. The two TDs may have jumped the shark on this one as voters know exactlyt what is what.