Simon Coveney: Fine Gael must 'show some humility' in assessing election result

Some political parties had made promises that “don’t reflect reality”, Simon Conveney said.

Fine Gael wants to “show some humility” and to recognise the result of the election and how the electorate has voted, Tanáiste Simon Coveney has said.

“People voted for change,” he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

Some political parties had made promises that “don’t reflect reality”, he added.

The onus is now on the parties who got the most votes and the most seats to show leadership, said Mr Coveney.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald wants a government of the left, so she should do so.

“The numbers are there,” he claimed, adding that forming a Government would be difficult.

Irish politics is now fractured, for the first time ever there is no party with more than 25% of the vote.

“The new reality is very complicated,” Mr Coveney said.

Fine Gael will follow through on its commitment to be responsible, but the fact was that the people had voted for change. He had always wanted to be in a position of responsibility, but there were some who were happy to remain in opposition with no responsibility.

Now the onus is on them to deliver change.

Fine Gael now sees its future in opposition, the party was not going to tie its hands.

Everybody in Dáil Éireann had the responsibility to provide stable government, but he hoped it would not take 74 days to form as had happened the last time.