Day 50 since Dáil dissolved and still no sign of government

With no prospect of a government being formed any time soon, yesterday marked the 50th day since the Dáil was dissolved and a general election called. It might not be too surprising if another 50 days were to pass before any deal is agreed to bridge the current political impasse.

The slow race to form a government continued yesterday as Enda Kenny opened up Government Buildings to 17 TDs in the latest round of talks.

A document with eight headings for discussion included matters such as housing; homelessness; rural affairs; and managing the economy. The latter also included a reference to “the future of USC”, which suggests Fine Gael may be open to dropping or tweaking its pre-election promise to abolish the much-hated charge.

Easter is traditionally a time of feasting and celebration, but there will be little merriment for the political groups, TDs and parties locked in drawn-out negotiations.

Next week though may reveal the shape of what Enda Kenny is trying to sculpt, as he locks down support for a rainbow Fine Gael-led minority government.

However, as Mr Kenny attempts to make history and give Fine Gael a second consecutive term in government, he is nailing down support for a ‘moral victory’ when the next vote for taoiseach takes place on April 6.

Fine Gael hosted the talks yesterday with five rural TDs, some who are conservative in nature, while across the table sat members of the Independence Alliance — some of whom are left wing. The multilateral talks also included two Green TDs, who have their own priorities, and the two Healy-Rae brothers would be strong advocates of rural affairs, particularly in Kerry. Their interests, again, would be different to those of the two Dublin Independents, Maureen O’Sullivan and Katherine Zappone.

Bringing these 17 TDs together under the one roof alone is a feat. Tying them down on a lasting programme for government is another matter.

The Independents are currently making hay of the situation, spinning lines about ‘responsibility’ and their new-found determination to cobble together a government. Independents are riding a wave of optimism after the election. What happens next will be the real test on whether such a diverse rainbow government, mirroring the 1948 inter-party administration, can last.

This is to say nothing about what will inevitably transpire when Mr Kenny will have to put out the hand of friendship to Micheál Martin, if and when a programme for government needs the imprimatur of Fianna Fáil.

Interestingly, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald gave a hint of what we can expect if a Fine Gael-minority government is agreed.

She noted on RTÉ that other governments in Europe regularly lose parliament votes on matters. In other words, we should get used to this idea.

Issues from health to homelessness will now get a proper hearing in the Dáil. Nonetheless, with such a fragmented parliament, significantly fewer matters might in fact pass through the Houses of the Oireachtas. But, as Green leader Eamon Ryan warned this week, how long could this last before a minority government was left “hanging by its fingernails”?