The Independent Alliance is going well, but for a few hitches and buts according to Deputy Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran. The group have recently signed up Catherine Halloran, former journalist with the Star newspaper as their new Press Officer, and they recently had a ‘wobble will he or won’t he resign,’ with their Minister for training and skills, John Halligan, over Waterford Hospital. In the end, he didn’t.

Boxer Moran from Athlone, is the Deputy Whip of the government, and is set to take up the Ministry for OPW next May, if the government gets that far.

“As Deputy Whip of the government, I have to bring our lads in line, and some of the lads were in opposition for a long time, and are now in government, and Fine Gael have to realise how the Independent Alliance operates, and the general media also have to realise that things can’t be just guillotined through the Dail,” said Boxer, in an interview with irishsmokefill.

He said that he didn’t see any problems in relation to the budget.

“All is going according to plan,” he said. “We’ve got to think of everyone, rural Ireland, helping the pensioners and Fianna Fail are dreaming, but we have to be mindful that when we give an increase, someone else suffers.”

Fianna Fail had been pushing for a €5 increase per week for pensioners.

Boxer said he is hopeful that something can be done for farm assistance, in relation to CAP, for the small farmer, writes David Flynn.

“Also the sheep farmer, there has never been any grant for the sheep farmer,” said Boxer, who further said that he and Independent Alliance Minister Sean Canny have had a number of meetings with Ministers Michael Noonan and Paschal Donohue. “We have to bargain for our lads (Independent Alliance).”

Boxer said that going from local to national politics over the past year has been tough going, but he’s learning all the time and it’s day and night work.