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Majority of FG councillors say they'll vote against party going into government

Jun 17, 2020 13:17 By radiokerrynews
Majority of FG councillors say they'll vote against party going into government
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A majority of Fine Gael Kerry County Councillors say they'll vote against their party going into government with Fianna Fáil and the Greens.

A majority of Fine Gael Kerry County Councillors say they'll vote against their party going into government with Fianna Fáil and the Greens.

Five of the party's seven councillors in Kerry say they won't  support the Programme for Government because support has been withdrawn from the Shannon LNG project.

Radio Kerry surveyed Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil representatives on Kerry County Council to find out if they supported going into government.

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Every member of Fianna Fáil has a vote on the matter.

Fine Gael's voting system is more complicated, with the parliamentary party representing the most powerful voting bloc.

Two Fine Gael councillors for the Listowel Municipal District, Mike Kennelly and Michael Foley say they'll vote t against coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Greens because of the decision to withdraw support for Shannon LNG, the liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for the Tarbert Ballylongford landbank.

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Tralee councillor Jim Finucane is voting no for the same reason.

Cllr Patrick Connor-Scarteen says he's voting no out of solidarity with his North Kerry colleagues over LNG.

Cllr Bobby O'Connell is voting no because of LNG and his belief that the Greens and rural Ireland are incompatible.

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Listowel councillor Aoife Thornton hasn't made a decision but says she's absolutely gutted over LNG.

Cllr Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald has also to make decision but believes the programme for government is aspirational and lacks costings.

Of Fianna Fáil's 10 Kerry councillors, five have indicated they'll vote yes; Niall Kelleher, Johnnie Wall, Breandán Fitzgerald, Norma Moriarty and Michael Cahill.

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Michael O'Shea, Fionnán Fitzgerald and Mikey Sheehy haven't reached a decision yet.

Listowel Fianna Fáil councillor Jimmy Moloney is voting no because of LNG while Cllr John Francis Flynn says he'll vote against the programme for government as he wants a national government and has no confidence in leader Micheál Martin.

But Cllr Breandán Fitzgerald says a new government is needed for the sake of the economy.

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