DUBLIN, April 14 – A junior minister in Ireland’s government stepped down Tuesday, criticizing leadership for their handling of widespread demonstrations over rising fuel costs that swept the nation last week. He announced plans to support opposition efforts to remove the coalition from power.
Michael Healy-Rae’s departure during parliamentary proceedings caught government officials off guard, as the coalition depends on support from independent legislators like him to maintain control. The ruling party is still anticipated to survive the confidence vote triggered after demonstrators blocked oil facilities and forced roughly one-third of the country’s gas stations to run dry. Those disruptions concluded Monday.
“The leader of the country should have listened and because of the fact that I believe this government has let the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country and I will be tendering my resignation as a Minister of State from now,” Healy-Rae declared to lawmakers.
The departing minister indicated his rural Kerry County voters opposed seeing him “or any Healy-Rae” supporting the current administration. His comments hinted that his brother Danny, also an independent member of parliament, might similarly withdraw backing, which would further reduce the government’s working majority.
Attempting to calm public anger, officials unveiled a 500 million euro ($586 million) package of increased spending and reduced taxes Sunday to help consumers and businesses cope with rising costs. This followed a 250 million euro relief measure implemented three weeks earlier.
