Minister urges party supply deal extension

An extension of the confidence and supply deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil needs to be negotiated before October’s budget and in the interests of maintaining stability for the country.

That is according to junior finance minister Michael D’Arcy, who said talks should start over the summer, given Ireland could enter a “rocky” period with a transatlantic trade war and Brexit both looming.

The Wexford TD’s comments reinforce concerns already expressed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when he said last year that he would not like to see the confidence and supply deal between the two parties “drop dead” the day after the budget.