Fine Gael aims to win support of rural Independents in bid to form government

Fine Gael will today attempt to gain the support of a group of five Independent TDs in its bid to form a government.

The loose alliance of rural TDs has drawn up a list of priorities for discussion with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and others.

They include demands to reverse cuts to EU-supported Leader programmes in rural areas, the need to improve broadband, repair roads, and a commitment to appoint a senior rural affairs minister.

The five deputies all abstained in the votes for taoiseach in the Dáil last week. They are: Tipperary’s Mattie McGrath, Roscommon-Galway’s Denis Naughten, Galway East’s Noel Grealish, Clare’s Michael Harty, and Cork South West’s Michael Collins.

Mr Naughten said there was no guarantee the bloc would vote together as of yet, but confirmed the group was opening two days of initial discussions with Fine Gael as well as Fianna Fáil.

“They have asked to sit down with us. We’re interested in supporting a programme for government, in what they have to say. This is not a case of a shopping list [for us],” he said.

Mr Naughten confirmed the issues of concern for the five deputies were common across their constituencies and revolved around “seeing the recovery spread beyond Dublin”.

Sources within the group say the top issues include funding hospital emergency departments, roads building, reversing cuts to Leader grants in some areas, providing broadband and mobile phone signals, as well as appointing a senior minister for rural affairs.

One source said the group was also in talks with newer TDs about increasing its numbers: “There may be more on board. If we have more clout, it’s easier. We’re singing from the same hymn sheet. We don’t expect this to be resolved on the first day. We’re talking about a five-year programme.”

Meanwhile, Mr Coveney refused to rule out Fine Gael supporting a Fianna Fáil minority government, but said he did not want to see another general election.

It comes as Health Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday ruled out supporting Fianna Fáil from the opposition benches, saying there was “no way” Fine Gael would back it.

Leo Varadkar

Asked about the possibility of supporting a Fianna Fáil-led government from opposition, Mr Coveney said: “I am not making any absolutes today. We are in a process at the moment and from a Fine Gael perspective that process is about putting together a partnership or coalition of parties that could provide stable government. Fine Gael wants to lead that but not at any cost, obviously, and so we are in the process of speaking to smaller parties.

“I’m not even talking about it, I don’t think it [a Fianna Fáil-minority government] would be stable, Fianna Fáil have now seven seats less than us so it would be difficult for them to put forward a stable minority government but that is for them to look at.

“The Fine Gael focus is on putting together a coalition of partners that can provide stable government and Fianna Fáil can focus on their own issues.”

Speaking in Brussels, Mr Coveney, played down talk of a second election.

“I don’t want another election, Fine Gael does not want another election, and I don’t think people want another election in Ireland, so we are looking at ways in which a stable government can be formed,” he said.

Mr Coveney left the door open on the possibility of a grand coalition between the two parties.

Fine Gael will now focus on making up its own government.

“That is not for me to say, Enda Kenny has said we would be willing to talk to all parties who are interested in being constructive in putting a government together,” said Mr Coveney.

“Fianna Fail have made it clear they don’t want anything to do with a coalition with Fine Gael so we are now focusing on putting a stable government together without them. That is going to take a lot of work.”