Independents fear backing either of big parties

Independent TDs and groupings now fear backing either of the main parties would be politically toxic.

Members of the Independent Alliance have spoken of their fears of voting for either Enda Kenny or Micheál Martin on April 6.

Although a number of smaller parties, Independent TDs and groupings met with both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael this week, they have not made any commitments and some now feel that backing the losing side would destroy their political careers.

“Even if we got the best deal possible out of Fine Gael, how can we vote for Kenny on April 6? We’d all be murdered in our constituencies if we did. But we’d also have a hard time voting for Martin given his party’s role in bringing down the country. So it is a real dilemma,” a member of the Independent Alliance said.

“But they would also want us, maybe one or two of us, at the cabinet table in some shape or form, for cover. They’d need it and it would also neutralise us a bit,” said the Alliance member.

While several leading Independent TDs have said they would instinctively prefer to vote for the Fianna Fáil leader over Mr Kenny, there is a sense that all of this horse trading will amount to very little.

Pic: Alan Place FusionShooters

The parties appear willing to concede a lot of ground, including offering up seats at the cabinet table, and detailed talks have begun.

However, some Independents fear that by supporting the party which does not end up in government they would risk their own political careers and would rather not take a punt on any party.

This view was criticised by another Independent Alliance member, Michael Fitzmaurice, who said: “If you are negotiating on the basis of whether it’s going to be detrimental for your political life, then you shouldn’t be in politics.

“There is a responsibility on every TD in there to form a government,” said the Roscommon-Galway TD.

Negotiations between Independents and others are expected to ramp up significantly next week as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil attempt to gain the support of as many others as possible, to form a minority government, ahead of the next key date of April 6, when a second attempt to elect a taoiseach is expected to be made.

Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that the group would be meeting parties on a much more “intensive basis” in which they would “obviously ask formally for our six votes and we would ask for our charter for change to be implemented”.

“They have asked us to elaborate on the charter for change, which we have now produced for them.

“We did have at our second meeting a long conversation on the details of that, to flesh it out,” Mr Ross said.

He said they would look at offers from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and make a decision from there.

“Where we stand is this: We want to provide a stable government which implements the radical responsible principles in our charter. We have absolutely no preference for which party does it. If we find a suitable vehicle which is prepared to change Irish politics for good, we will support it,” Mr Ross added.