Micheál Martin says voters want a Govt to act on housing, after talks with Leo Varadkar

Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin says voters want a government that can act on housing, health and climate change after his first meeting with Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar about coalition options.

He also hit out at rivals Sinn Féin and said party leader Mary Lou McDonald's proposals for a left-leaning coalition option were now effectively over.

Speaking after a brief meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about whether the two leaders and their parties can work together, Mr Martin said voters wanted parties to get stuck into solving issues:

“They expect us to get stuck in, to form a government.”

He said voters in his home constituency of Cork South Central had economic concerns.

Brexit again, people are concerned about coronavirus. They can see the impact that is beginning to have economically.

Fianna Fáil wanted to form a pro-jobs and a pro-enterprise government that would ensure the economy remained competitive, explained Mr Martin.

Mr Martin and Mr Varadkar have both agreed to meet again after the preliminary talks.

The brief face-to-face discussion looked at how the two parties can work together. But Fine Gael, as a party, have yet to meet this week about whether they should formally enter coalition talks

Mr Varadkar, in his own statement, confirmed that the initial talks with Mr Martin centred on housing, health, climate change, the cost of living as well as taxes.

However, a statement said his party was still continuing to “prepare for opposition”.

Elsewhere, Mr Martin played down the pressure coming from Sinn Féin to be allowed to form a government, despite continued criticism from that party over being sidelined in coalition talks.

Mr Martin said: “The people's government can only be formed by a majority of elected representatives of Dail Eireann. Everybody knows that. Put away all the hype and hyperbole. You can have as many meetings as you like. The bottom line. The people elect Dáil Éireann under our constitution.”