Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions for the Taoiseach. Is there a formal voting arrangement between the Government and Deputy Naughten? What Independent Deputies who are not Ministers are in a formal voting arrangement with the Government? I ask the Taoiseach to list them and to outline what supports or liaison measures are in place in this regard.

As Deputy Micheál Martin said, the Taoiseach's Department employs three senior political staff to work with the Independent Deputies in government, including the deputy Government press secretary, a chief strategist and a Mr. Dónall Geoghegan, a political co-ordinator for Independent Ministers. Now that there is only one Independent Minister, Deputy Zappone, is Mr. Geoghegan employed exclusively as a support for her or does his duties now extend to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney?

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