Government talks: Micheál Martin set to concede defeat as Independent move backfires

Enda Kenny and Micheál Martin are set to finally agree on a Fine Gael-led minority government today after a third Dáil taoiseach nomination vote failed to see the Fianna Fáil leader close the gap on his rival.

Mr Martin is expected to concede defeat in his bid for power in a formal meeting with Mr Kenny, paving the way for the Fine Gael leader to be elected taoiseach during a Dáil vote on Wednesday — if he can win over Independents’ support.

The apparent breakthrough came after a Fianna Fáil demand for Independents to reveal who they will support backfired and failed to see any significant movement from the unaligned TDs.

However, with Fine Gael figures definitively ruling out a fifth vote, it now means that if Mr Kenny fails to win enough support in the next Dáil ballot the country could be facing a second election.

In the latest vote yesterday, Mr Kenny increased his support by one to 52 — with unaligned Independent Katherine Zappone joining the 50 Fine Gael TDs and Independent Michael Lowry.

Michael Lowry

Despite the Fianna Fáil call for action from the Independents, Mr Martin’s support remained stagnant at 43 after the 14 other Independents who have participated in talks jointly refused to be forced into making a decision and abstained.

With a nine-TD gap between Mr Kenny and Mr Martin, the opposition leader has now accepted defeat in his bid to form a Fianna Fáil-led minority government.

This was due to occur in a meeting this morning between Mr Kenny and Mr Martin after Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party rubber-stamped the move.

Speaking in the Dáil after the vote, Mr Kenny said forming a government needs to be “progressed to fruition and conclusion”.

While Mr Kenny repeatedly referenced “a full partnership government” during his speech, Fine Gael figures confirmed the party is now only looking at a minority government.

Mr Martin responded to his rival’s speech by accepting “following this vote it is time to move on”.

While referencing a minority government format, Mr Martin did not explicitly say in the Dáil debate he was conceding a Fine Gael minority government is now the only option.

A number of senior Fianna Fáil TDs and key backroom officials confirmed this is what was meant.

It is expected Fianna Fáil will not nominate Mr Martin for taoiseach next Wednesday and will instead facilitate Mr Kenny’s election by abstaining, if he gains enough Independents’ support.

Enda Kenny

The issue is one of a number of potential hurdles still in the way of forming a government, chief among them being the fact Fine Gael wants a written minority government agreement — something Fianna Fáil will refuse and which is crucial to convincing Independents to back any deal.

Independent Alliance leader Shane Ross, who, like 13 other unaligned TDs, refused to vote for either option, said his group will not be “the meat in the sandwich” to parties before a deal is reached.

Ms Zappone, TD for Dublin South-West, said her decision to back Mr Kenny is “the right thing” to do.