Fifth Fianna Fáil ceann comhairle contender
It comes as Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness added his name to the list of Fianna Fáil TDs hoping to be nominated for the sought-after ceann comhairle position.
Although party leader Micheál Martin has been making contact with smaller parties and Independents, senior party members including finance spokesman Michael McGrath believe proper discussions will not begin until late next week.
The Dáil will resume on Thursday when Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Mr Martin, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, and a member of the AAA-PBP will be put forward as leader of the new government.
A ceann comhairle is also expected to be elected on that day. Fianna Fáil’s Mr McGuinness last night put his name in the hat, bringing to five the number of people within his party who have sought the nomination.
Fianna Fáil will meet early next week to decide on whether to put forward Mr McGuinness, Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher, Michael Moynihan, Brendan Smith, or Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
Mr McGuinness said: “It’s all very uncertain. We were asked for expressions of interest before 5pm and I expressed interest; that makes it five. Where it goes from there, we will have to see.”
Mr Martin has been buoyed by the number of party TDs elected and appears determined to get as much support as possible from Independents and others ahead of next week’s taoiseach nomination.
Although Mr Martin had initiated informal discussions with the smaller parties and Independents since Tuesday, it is understood Mr Kenny only began making contact with potential supporters yesterday.
But Cork South Central TD Mr McGrath said the true business of forming a new government will only begin after Thursday — a view echoed by prominent party members yesterday.
Mr McGrath added that it is “not tenable to allow a caretaker government to remain in place for long” as there were major issues in housing and healthcare that must be addressed.
“We have to have a government in place with authority and the capacity to address the issues of concern to the Irish people,” he said. “Obviously, our preference is to have a Fianna Fáil-led government with Micheál Martin as taoiseach, but we also realise our standing — we are going in with 44 seats.
“We have given our party leader backing to go out there and talk to smaller parties and independents,” he said, but negotiations enter a “new phase at that stage”.
Mr Martin has already spoken to the Social Democrats, the Green Party and a smattering of Independents, to the Healy-Rae brothers, Michael Collins, Katherine Zappone, and the Independent Alliance.
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