Barry Cowen insists Fianna Fáil will not enter Government with Fine Gael
Fianna Fáil environment spokesperson Barry Cowen has insisted his party will not enter Government with Fine Gael because it "cannot break the greatest promise we gave in the first week of the Dáil".
The senior opposition TD issued the staunch denial that any deal can be struck between the two rival parties as speculation continues to grow that a grand coalition could be on the cards.
As revealed in Tuesday's Irish Examiner, Fine Gael is preparing to offer Fianna Fáil a 50:50 cabinet minister split and the potential for a rotating taoiseach role between Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin if it is willing to enter power with the current government party.
The offer, which has been outlined by a number of senior Fine Gael sources, is likely to be made after Thursday's taoiseach nomination Dáil vote ends in stalemate and before Mr Kenny travels to the US for the St Patrick's Day festivities on Monday.
However, speaking on RTE Radio's News at One programme this afternoon, Mr Cowen insisted his party cannot consider any deal with its long-time rival regardless of what "trappings of power" are made available.
"We cannot break the greatest promise we gave, which was not to go into government with Fine Gael, in the first week of the Dáil," the Fianna Fáil front-bencher said when asked repeatedly about the prospect today.
"Fine Gael believes it is all about sharing power, about the trappings of power. I don't believe they get it. There's no doubt what the public demanded was change. That's our priority, that's the mandate we've been afforded, we want to explore that mandate.
"One of the major planks contained in our manifesto and repeated over the course of the campaign, was when you and others put the question to me 'would we coalesce with Fine Gael', the resounding answer was no.
"This [the mooted Fine Gael offer], the movings of what's being said by Fine Gael sources, is the last shake on the part pf Fine Gael in an attempt to retain the trappings of power," he said.
Mr Cowen's comments follow similarly strong denials that any historic deal could take place from party colleagues Dara Calleary, Robert Troy, Willie O Dea and Thomas Byrne in the past 24 hours, while a senior party spokesperson has stressed Fianna Fáil is not looking beyond Thursday's taoiseach nomination vote.
Mr O Dea said this afternoon that "no, my view is still the same, I do not favour a grand coalition with Fine Gael, there are other options to be explored".
However, while Fianna Fáil's position remains rigid, the opposition party is risking painting itself into a corner on the prospect of any deal with Fine Gael, which appears the only viable option now available for a stable government if a second 2016 election is to be avoided.
After Thursday's taoiseach nomination vote ends as expected in stalemate, current Taoiseach Mr Kenny will speak with President Michael D Higgins and seek an extension of time to allow for further negotiations to take place with other parties and Dáil groupings.
In such a scenario, pressure will then mount on Mr Martin to agree to enter talks on either a full coalition or supporting a minority Fine Gael-led government, an issue he will have to put before an emergency party meeting during which it will be voted on by local and regional groups - many of which are strongly opposed to any such deal.
