Man on the edge. Will he? Won’t he?

Here’s a nugget of rumour in the current stories swirling around John Halligan and his threat to depart the Coalition over the lack of delivery of cardiac services that he wants. Enda Kenny has said the services are a non-starter – though ‘a number of other offers have been made to him’. Which leaves the Minister of State in a tricky spot.

Anyhow, if he does go there is little chance of wailing and gnashing of teeth in government circles.

There is increasing frustration in Government circles with Mr Halligan, with one source saying it is time the Waterford deputy’s position in the Fine Gael-Independent coalition “crystallised”.
“We cannot go on having these crisis meetings all the time,” said a Government figure, with speculation that Mattie McGrath or Noel Grealish could join the Coalition should Mr Halligan leave.

And suddenly the weakness of the government becomes a strength – until McGrath or Grealish, or… whisper it, perhaps one S. Donnelly, stray from the straight and narrow.