Varadkar to seek ‘parity’ with FF if in coalition

Outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is set to press his rival Micheal Martin for equal treatment for Fine Gael if it enters coalition with Fianna Fail.

In the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders over a potential 'grand' coalition, Mr Varadkar is expected to highlight that both parties won a similar number of votes in the election. This is despite Fianna Fail coming back after the election with 38 TDs compared to Fine Gael's 35.