JUNIOR MINISTER KEVIN ‘Boxer’ Moran is to leave the Independent Alliance and fight the election as an independent.

Moran, a Cabinet minister since 2017, said he would consider joining another independent grouping if he was re-elected.

The Independent Alliance also contains cabinet ministers Shane Ross, Finian McGrath and John Halligan.

It was formed ahead of the last election with much of the early running done by Ross.

Moran remained as a Cabinet minister last year after he stayed on in the role that he previously shared with former Independent Alliance colleague Seán Canney TD.

Canney subsequently left the Independent Alliance.

Speaking to The Joe Finnegan Show on Shannonside radio, Moran confirmed he would also be leaving the group for the election but may rejoin or join a similar group afterwards.

“What we did in the last Dáil, independents came together to form an alliance and I’ve no doubt if I’m lucky to be elected again we’ll look at forming an alliance.

“The Independent Alliance may stay, it may go depending on the numbers that are re-elected.

We have one or two of our colleagues undecided whether they’ll run or not and based on that I think Shane Ross gave an interview in the Irish Independent three weeks ago saying that we are going to run as independents, and if we’re lucky enough to be elected we’ll form an alliance.

“Or with other groups, there’s other groups looking at the present time, talking to me, talking to others to see if we would form an alliance. But the main thing is I suppose to get re-elected,” he said.

Moran also said that he met with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week along with Ross and McGrath and his own view is that he’d like the government to continue until the summer but that the numbers “don’t stack up”.