Independent Alliance may abstain from vote for Taoiseach
Members of the Independent Alliance look set to abstain from the vote for Taoiseach when the Dáil convenes on Thursday, it has emerged. And in what is a major setback to Mr Kenny and Micheál Martin, the Social Democrats have said they are unlikely to support either nomination.
Fine Gael sources last night spoke of trying to replicate the 1948-1951 inter-party government, and said that as many as half of the seats of Cabinet could be given away to smaller parties in exchange for support.
Mr Kenny and Mr Martin are locked in a race to secure as many votes as possible with Mr Martin needing to bridge a significant gap to catch the outgoing Taoiseach.
Neither will have enough votes to secure power when the votes are cast, but both want to beat the other in order to have the upper hand in negotiations on government formation.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Independent Alliance member Finian McGrath said he is unlikely to give his support to either Mr Kenny or Mr Martin. He also said the six alliance members would vote en bloc on Thursday.
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His colleague Shane Ross, however, last night said no decisions have yet been taken by the group. Mr Martin is to meet the Independent Alliance and the Social Democrats today.
Yesterday, Fine Gael gave its strongest signal to date that a coalition with Fianna Fáil is possible. The party’s director of elections, Brian Hayes, said that discussions with Fianna Fáil “could occur” in the coming weeks.
Newly elected Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry released a statement saying Fianna Fáil could enter some arrangement with Fine Gael, which would see the role of taoiseach rotated between the parties.
“My personal view is Fianna Fáil could agree to enter government on an equal footing with a rotating taoiseach,” he said.
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