Retiring Independent Alliance Minister John Halligan has said he would like to see Tánaiste Simon Coveney returned to Government. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Halligan said were he not to return, it would be “disappointing.”Such an intervention from Mr Halligan, a staunch liberal, will catch many by surprise, given Mr Coveney's conservative stance on many issues. “Speaking in a personal capacity, it would be disappointing not to see Simon Coveney returned as a Minister in the upcoming government,” he said. As both Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister Coveney has been a stalwart advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people and has consistently emphasised the need for dialogue between Israel and Palestine. Mr Halligan is retiring from the Dáil having first been elected in 2011.

Source: Irish Examiner February 06, 2020 15:45 UTC