TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has announced there will be a general election early in the New Year once the budget has been enacted.
Mr Cowen phoned Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore late last night to offer to make available to them the financial advice underpinning the Government’s proposed budget.
While the Taoiseach made no direct request to Mr Kenny or Mr Gilmore to help him get the budget through the Dáil on December 7th, his phone calls to them signalled the first move in a strategy to persuade the Opposition to let the budget pass.
It is understood, however, that both Mr Kenny and Mr Gilmore told Mr Cowen they wanted to see an immediate dissolution of the Dáil with an election before rather than after the budget. Both will consult senior party colleagues this morning about Mr Cowen’s offer.
Mr Cowen will come under pressure today from Fianna Fáil colleagues who believe it is time for him to step down. Carlow Kilkenny TD John McGuinness said last night a number of TDs would meet, separately from the parliamentary party, to discuss “a strategy in relation to a motion of no confidence” .
“There’s serious discontent within the parliamentary party. I believe it’s now up to those who’ve spoken out to take soundings amongst their colleagues to take action to remove that man [Mr Cowen] immediately,” Mr McGuinness said. If a strategy was agreed, it would take a week for a motion to be heard.
The Green Party announced earlier it wanted an election in the second half of January and the two Independents who back the Government withdrew their support.
One of those Independents, Michael Lowry, called on the Taoiseach to dissolve the Dáil immediately, while a number of Fianna Fáil backbenchers publicly called on Mr Cowen to resign.
Flanked by the Fianna Fáil members of the Cabinet, the Taoiseach said at a press conference at Government Buildings last night: “There are occasions when the imperative of serving the national interest transcends other concerns, including party political and personal concerns. This is one such occasion.”
He said the State required financial stability to be achieved by publishing a four-year plan setting out how a €15 billion adjustment would be implemented by 2014 and the adoption of a budget for next year involving a €6 billion adjustment.
The four-year plan would be published tomorrow and the Government would continue the negotiations with the EU, the ECB and with the IMF, present a budget to the Dáil on December 7th and introduce the necessary legislation, he said.
“We believe that there is a clear duty on all members of Dáil Éireann to facilitate the passage of these measures in the uniquely serious circumstances in which we find ourselves . . .
“It is my intention, at the conclusion of this budgetary process with the enactment of the necessary legislation in the new year, to seek a dissolution of Dáil Éireann and to enable the people to determine who should undertake the responsibilities of government in the challenging period ahead.”
Mr Cowen said he was satisfied the Greens were willing to support the work of the Government in the coming weeks and months. Asked if he felt betrayed by the junior partner, Mr Cowen said: “That is not a word that is in my lexicon at all.”
Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly said Mr Cowen should have called a general election before the budget and allowed the people to judge which of the parties had the best proposals. He said Fine Gael would not back the budget unless it was the kind of budget it would have produced itself.
Earlier, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore had called for an immediate election before the budget, as did Sinn Féin.
The Taoiseach’s decision to dissolve the Dáil early in the new year came in response to an announcement by Green Party leader John Gormley in the morning that his party wanted an election in the second half of January.
A number of Fianna Fáil TDs have expressed a lack of confidence in Mr Cowen.Chris Andrews from Dublin South East, Noel O’Flynn from Cork North Central and Seán Power from Kildare South publicly called on the Taoiseach to step down.
There was no comment last night from the European Commission on the Taoiseach’s statement.
However, a source familiar with the position of European negotiators said it was their clear understanding with the Irish authorities that the Government would be able to pass the 2011 budget next month.
“From our perspective, it is important that the Government is able to represent Ireland in the talks,” the source said.
“It would be very unpleasant if there was nobody to talk to. That would be very irresponsible.”
