‘We can’t afford flurry of elections’, says Fine Gael Minister

A Fine Gael minister has warned that Ireland “can’t afford” a flurry of elections in quick succession, saying they could throw the country back into a 1980s-style recession amid a growing belief a hung Dáil is on the cards.

Innovation minister Damien English urged the public to make a clear decision on February 26 as pressure mounts on parties to cut a deal to form a government.

Speaking at the launch of Fine Gael’s childcare policy — which includes an extra eight weeks’ paid parental leave by 2021 — Mr English acknowledged recent polls indicate the election could provide no clear winner. He said such a situation could throw Ireland into a rerun of the 1980s recession.