Coveney: Fine Gael ready to find new partners
Tanaiste setting his sights on 60 seats in election
SIMON Coveney is ready to ditch Fianna Fail after the next election and try another rainbow coalition.
The Tanaiste and former director of elections for Fine Gael has set his sights on a target of 60 seats or more.
This would allow it to govern with the help of a few smaller parties such as Labour, the Social Democrats or the Greens instead of forging another deal with Fianna Fail.
Fine Gael has partnered successfully with Labour in Government at various times in the history of the State, most recently from 2011 to 2016 under Enda Kenny.
Mr Coveney is now suggesting the party is ready to go down this route again.
He said: “What we want is a successful local election that can be a springboard then for gains in a General Election.
“Fine Gael is intent on winning well above 60 seats in the Dail the next time around.
“I think we need to do that to be in a strong position to form a government that can command a majority. I’d like us to be well into the 60s, I am not going to put an exact number on it but certainly they’re the kind of target figures that we can credibly look to.
“We have ruled out Sinn Fein as a coalition partner.
“That is a very real ruling out, it is not going to happen.
“We will have to wait and see where entities like the Independent Alliance, where the Green Party is, where the Labour Party is.
“And of course, they have to be open to it too. That is a discussion that we have post the election when we see the arithmetic of the new Dail.
“I hope we will be in a position to form a government that commands a majority so we can continue to build a stronger, fairer, economy and society.”
Mr Coveney was asked if he was ruling out a coalition with Fianna Fail, even after they supported Fine Gael in confidence and supply deals for the last three budgets.
He said: “I think after the next election we are unlikely to see coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.
“It is a possibility but I think it is unlikely.
“I think you are more likely to see, hopefully, a strong Fine Gael coming out of the next election, looking to build a partnership and an alliance with other parties where we share agendas and that we want to complete together.”
We’ve ruled out Sinn Fein as a partner.. it’s not going to happen SIMON Coveney YESTERDAY