Type Political group Chair Feargal Quinn | Location Ireland | |
Formation 30 March 2015 (2015-03-30) Website www.independentalliance.ie | ||
The Independent Alliance is an Irish political grouping formed in March 2015 by independent politicians. It was founded by Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice. It is not a political party and has stated that it will not impose any whip on elected members, except where the group has agreed to support a government on confidence motions.
Contents
2015
Prior to the 2016 general election, the alliance counted among its members five independent TDs of the 31st Dáil and two senators of the 24th Seanad; within the Oireachtas, it comprised TDs Shane Ross, Michael Fitzmaurice, Finian McGrath, John Halligan and Tom Fleming; and senators Feargal Quinn and Gerard Craughwell.
Councillors who are members of the alliance are represented on South Dublin, Fingal, Louth, Kildare, Galway, Offaly, Donegal, Westmeath and Sligo County Councils, along with a councillor on Cork City Council.
2016
20 members of the alliance ran as independent candidates at the 2016 general election. 6 candidates were elected: Seán Canney, Michael Fitzmaurice, John Halligan, Finian McGrath, Kevin "Boxer" Moran and Shane Ross.
Gerard Craughwell was re-elected as a senator in April 2016 following the general election, but he announced on 29 April that he had left the group due to being excluded from the group's negotiations with Fine Gael on supporting a government. On 18 May, Michael Fitzmaurice, who had been the only Alliance TD not to vote for Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, announced that he was leaving the group.
Ideology
With no policies or whip and with members from across the right-left political spectrum, the alliance does not have a cohesive ideology. The group's website has set out a list of "principles and priorities" based around general themes of political reform that the alliance has claimed would form a charter for its election candidates. The group regards whips as "a regressive force in Irish politics."
Election results
The Independent Alliance are not a registered party so appear as non-party on the ballot paper. Their collective results are as follows: