Michéal Martin calls for month of reform talks
As the Cabinet meets today to pick up the pieces of the general election defeat, Mr Martin has sought to seize the initiative by demanding radical Dáil reform as a precondition to any government formation talks.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s option of shoring up support from Independents was crumbling last night as several groups and individual TDs ruled out any deal with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.
Mr Martin’s intervention is an attempt to force the pace and shape of the process of forming the next government and to up the pressure on a weakened Mr Kenny.
Mr Martin is insisting that a month be given to allow such Dáil reform proposals to be discussed by an all-party group.
“The new Dáil should involve a decisive move towards a reformed politics. This should be addressed immediately and before the process of forming a new government is proceeded with,” he said. Mr Martin’s proposals for change include:
- Limiting the ability of government to control all business on an ongoing basis;
- Ending the practice of guillotines, and
- The establishment of an independent budget review office to review and cost all proposals brought.
For Fine Gael, their priority is to ensure Mr Kenny beats Mr Martin in the race to be Taoiseach. “This is the first battle. It’s important Enda polls more than Micheál. We can get the numbers,” said a senior party source.
Fine Gael believes it can gain support from the two Green TDs elected as well as a cohort of Independents, including Roscommon-Galway’s Denis Naughten, Dublin-Central’s Maureen O’Sullivan’s, Galway East’s Noel Grealish, as well as possibly votes of confidence from the Healy-Rae brothers.
Separately, approaches are expected to be made to the Independent Alliance, who could take up to six seats when the final election counts are finished.
But in a blow to Fine Gael, one of the Social Democrats’ three TD co-leaders, Catherine Murphy, has said it is “unlikely” the new party would support either big party. She told the Irish Examiner last night that like Independents, no one has yet sought support.
She and fellow co-leaders Róisín Shortall and Stephen Donnelly will meet in Leinster House today to discuss strategy, but they are not prepared to do a deal.
Labour also says there is “no appetite” to return to government among its members. Speaking on local radio yesterday deputy leader Alan Kelly said: “The Labour Party won’t be part of government, we need a period in opposition.”
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the party have not been given a mandate to enter government, placing more pressure on Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to do a deal or scramble for support from Independents.
Mr Adams said: “We made it very clear that we would not be junior partners to the conservative parties of Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, that’s the mandate we have been given, it’s a very significant mandate and it’s also a very legitimate mandate.”
An Amárach poll for the Claire Byrne show found that 37% of people favoured Micheál Martin becoming the next Taoiseach. Just 23% of those asked said they wanted Enda Kenny to continue on.
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