Roscommon-Galway sends three TDs from three different political groupings to Leinster House — and their voting records show that the constituency frequently divides two to one when major questions come before the Dáil.
An examination of selected recorded divisions involving Fianna Fáil’s Martin Daly, Sinn Féin’s Claire Kerrane and Independent Ireland’s Michael Fitzmaurice shows one combination occurring particularly often: Daly recording one vote, with Kerrane and Fitzmaurice recording the other.
But that is not the case on every issue. There have also been votes where Daly and Fitzmaurice have recorded the same position while Kerrane voted differently, as well as occasions when all three Roscommon-Galway TDs voted the same way.
The differences can be seen across issues including housing, planning, cost of living and immigration-related measures.
Housing
One clear two-to-one division came during a debate on vacant council housing in June 2025.
An amendment sought a number of measures, including reducing the average turnaround time for vacant local authority homes to two months and allowing councils to apply for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant for vacant council properties.
Kerrane and Fitzmaurice voted in favour of the amendment, while Daly voted against. It was defeated by 87 votes to 69.
When the Government’s amended housing motion was subsequently put to the Dáil, the positions were reversed: Daly voted in favour while Kerrane and Fitzmaurice voted against.
It is an example of a voting pattern that has recurred during the current Dáil, with the Fianna Fáil TD recording the Government position and the Sinn Féin and Independent Ireland representatives recording the opposite vote.
Immigration and accommodation
The same numerical split emerged in May 2025 during a vote relating to the Accommodation Recognition Payment for people providing accommodation to Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection.
An amendment was put forward in response to the Government proposal to reduce the monthly payment from €800 to €600.
Kerrane and Fitzmaurice voted for the amendment, while Daly voted against. It was defeated by 101 votes to 41.
The fact that two TDs record the same vote does not necessarily mean they take the same broader position on an issue. A Dáil division records support or opposition to the specific question before the House, rather than providing a complete account of a deputy’s views on the wider subject.
Planning provides a different split
The pattern changes on some votes. During consideration of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2026 in July, Daly and Fitzmaurice both voted in favour of section 62 remaining part of the Bill, while Kerrane voted against.
The section was carried by 82 votes to 65.
That vote is notable because it produced a different two-to-one combination from several of the earlier divisions: Daly and Fitzmaurice recorded the same vote, with Kerrane recording the opposite position. This demonstrates why the voting record cannot simply be reduced to a permanent Government-versus-Opposition split.
Sometimes all three agree
There are also significant issues on which Roscommon-Galway’s three representatives have recorded the same vote.
Daly, Kerrane and Fitzmaurice all voted in favour of the final passage of the Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 in May. The Bill passed by 132 votes to 15.
All three also voted against the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill when it came before the Dáil in July, when the proposal was defeated by 125 votes to 24.
So while two-to-one divisions are common among the constituency’s representatives, they are far from universal.
What matters to voters?
The voting records can also be viewed against the issues voters have identified as particularly important.
A RED C poll published in May 2024 found that cost of living was regarded as “very important” by 56 per cent of respondents, followed by immigration at 50 per cent. Health services and hospitals were cited by 34 per cent, housing and planning by 30 per cent, and crime, policing and antisocial behaviour by 26 per cent. The poll provides a snapshot of the issues occupying voters during the period leading into the current political cycle.
Not every issue produces a neat vote – some issues or variation in opinion concern amendments, individual sections of legislation or amended motions rather than a straightforward vote for or against an entire policy.
What the record does provide is an objective account of how Roscommon-Galway’s representatives voted when divisions were called.
Across the examples examined, Daly has frequently recorded one position while Kerrane and Fitzmaurice have recorded the other. But there are exceptions, including votes where Daly and Fitzmaurice have matched and votes where all three representatives have agreed.
All three were elected to represent Roscommon-Galway, from different political parties and backgrounds and with different areas of focus. The three deputy’s voting records show different approaches across a range of national issues — sometimes producing a two-to-one split and, on other occasions, a common position across all three representatives.
