We’re keeping our word on coalition

Enda Kenny met Micheál Martin on Wednesday night and put the option of a partnership government involving Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael and Independents on the table as he believed this would be the best thing for Ireland. Both leaders were still in discussions with Independent groups with a view to form a minority government.

Our parliamentary party considered the option and there was agreement that this option was not tenable. There are many reasons for this but the main one is that we went before the people in February and consistently said we were not going to go into a ‘grand coalition’.

For months before the election, any time I was asked would Fianna Fáil go into coalition with Fine Gael after the election, I always denied this would be considered and this was for many reasons.