We’ll have coalition plan by the end of May – Leo
TALKS on forming a coalition are ‘going well’, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who hopes to have a programme for government in place by the end of the month.
Yesterday, the Labour Party formally ruled itself out of going into government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, as its leader Alan Kelly cited economic policy differences and a lack of clarity on Covid19 welfare payments.
Discussions between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and would-be partners the Greens have been taking place this week in an effort to appoint a new team of ministers following February’s inconclusive general election.
Negotiating teams have been discussing policies around the economy, housing, healthcare and climate change.
Ruling out Labour yesterday, Mr Kelly said: ‘I recommended to our parliamentary party today that at this time we would not take part in formal discussions on a programme for government.
It was our united view that your talks with the Green Party should now be given the space and time to reach a conclusion, as if successful, such a government would command a majority in the Dáil.’
Mr Varadkar said: ‘Talks are going well and I am still confident that it will be possible to negotiate a programme for government, ideally before the end of the month.’
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been attempting to draw other parties and Independents into the talks process.
Prior to the Labour Party’s decision yesterday, both Aontú and the Social Democrats ruled themselves out.
And as crunch talks continue with Fianna Fáil and the Greens, Fine Gael leader Mr Varadkar yesterday warned that governance would be a hard labour as a downturn caused by coronavirus restrictions looms on the horizon.
He said: ‘It is not going to be an easy time to be in government.
‘The economic consequences of this virus are going to be very severe in terms of jobs lost, in terms of businesses which will not open again, in terms of the impact on public finances.
‘This country needs a government that is led by people that want to be in government even when it is not easy.’
Efforts to form a government are intensifying three months on from February’s inconclusive election.
Fianna Fáil won 38 seats (a tally reduced to 37 after one of its TDs was re-elected as speaker), Sinn Féin won 37, Fine Gael secured 35, and Labour and the Greens won six and 12 respectively.
A majority of 80 seats is needed to form a government.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he and his colleagues in Fine Gael are doing all they can to see if forming a government is possible at this difficult time. He added: ‘I believe the defining challenge that we will have in addition to our great public health challenge is our efforts to get people back to work.’
He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday that the country had a level of unemployment that would have been unimaginable a number of weeks ago, and was causing so much harm.
‘We have to get our country back to work. We have to get those who never thought they would lose a job again back in a job that respects them and pays them a good income,’ he said. ‘I believe in order for that to happen, we need to have a government formed that has an affordable, accountable programme for government, and myself, [Tánaiste] Simon Coveney and all the members of our negotiation team are putting our best foot forward to try to do that.’
‘It is not going to be an easy time’ ‘Putting our best foot forward’