Laois independent TD Brian Stanley 'away' as Government formation haggling begins

Laois TD Brian Stanley is away while talks begin on who will be in a new Government but the former Sinn Féin TD will have to move fast to retain some status in Dáil operations due to quitting Sinn Féin.

The newly elected TD held one of the highest-ranking positions in the last Dáil as the Chairperson of the Dáil Public Accounts a role which he took up in 2020 after being nominated by Mary Lou McDonald. 

With the dust hardly settled on the General Election, talks are already underway among some of the existing independent groupings intending to become partners in government in a likely new Fianna Fáil Fine Gael coalition.

Dep Stanley made it clear during the General Election that he would be open to all options in a new Dáil if elected. In 2004 he was central to setting up an alliance made up of Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin, Progressive Democrats and independents to win control over Laois County Council from Fianna Fáil.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live contacted Dep Stanley's Office to ask if he had been approached about joining the independent alliance grouping in Dáil or any other technical grouping in the Dáil. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Brian Stanely with supporters at the General Election Count Centre in Portlaoise. Pic: Alf Harvey

He was also asked if he has been approached about supporting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to form a Government.

His office said that the TD would be away for the rest of the week until Monday, December 10. This gives him just over a week to decide whom he will ally with in Leinster House and if he would back a new FF / FG Government.

Dáil standing orders allow multiple so-called technical groups to coexist in the Dáil. One such grouping is the Independent Alliance which is made up of Verona Murphy, Michael Lowry, Noeal Grealish and Seán Canney. Dep Murphy was one of the most high-profile TDs on the Public Accounts Committee when Dep Stanley was its chairperson.

Dep Stanley's former Sinn Féin colleague Carol Nolan is a member of the Rural Independent Group which includes Michael and Danny Healy Rea and Mattie McGrath.

Dep Stanley's other options are limited as there are few left-wing independents in the Dáil.

He also has the option of joining another political party such as Aontú which has two TDs and is led by former Sinn Féin representative Peadar Tóibín.

The new Dáil will sit for the first time on December 18 but a Government is not expected to be in place until early 2025.  

Dep Stanley was returned to Leinster House after taking the third seat in the new Laois constituency. He was well ahead of fourth place candidate Maria McCormack of Sinn Féin after the final count.