Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan is due to fly to Chicago today to join the Enterprise Ireland mission aimed at boosting the level of attendance by US students at third-level institutions here, which currently has an estimated value of €900 million to the economy.
The trip follows an arrangement with the Labour Party, which will stand down one of its TDs in any Dáil votes that take place in her absence this week. The pairing arrangement was brokered by Labour education spokesman Ruairí Quinn, following Fine Gael’s refusal to facilitate Ms Coughlan’s US visit.
This morning, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore denied that his party was trying to score political points over Fine Gael.
“We should not obstruct a Minister going to an event which might have the potential down the line to generate jobs or to generate investment in the country," he said. "We have 450,000 people out of work in this country and we felt that the priority really is to do whatever can be done to try and get jobs for people and to try and get investment in this country.
Mr Gilmore told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that while Labour had no confidence in the Government, it recognised the need to do whatever needs to be done to attract investment and jobs. "Our main criticism of the Government is that they haven't done enough of this," he said.
Ms Coughlan will now travel to the United States today ahead of the conference in St Louis at the end of this week.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Alan Shatter today questioned the need for Ms Coughlan to join the Enterprise Ireland mission.
“The scheduled meetings in the US are essentially with student counsellors to talk about our third-level education system in the hope that they will be encouraged to recommend Ireland as a destination to American students for their third-level studies. It is pure fantasy that it really matters whether the Tánaiste is or is not a contributor to such presentation," he said.
Labour was always available when Fianna Fáil was “in need of a political cuddle”, he claimed.
“No one should take seriously Eamon Gilmore’s protestations that the Labour Party will not after the next election, if given the opportunity, join up with Fianna Fáil in Government,” he said. “The events of the last 24 hours confirm that Labour cannot resist the Fianna Fáil embrace.”
Party colleague Shane McEntee described the move by Labour as a “betrayal” and said Fine Gael should dump the party and present themselves as a single alternative government at the next election.
He said: “Labour has effectively given us a clear indication that they are willing to jump into bed with Fianna Fail when it suits them. How can Fine Gael possibly go into Government with a party who do not know what side their bread is buttered on?”
Mr Gilmore again insisted this morning that his party would not do a deal to put Fianna Fáil back in power after the next general election under any circumstances.
Under pairing arrangements, a TD from one party agrees with a TD from an opposing party not to vote in a particular division, giving both deputies the opportunity to be elsewhere.
Conor Lenihan Minister for Science and Innovation said the Fine Gael objection to pairing amounted to “sabotage”.
And he added that the “partisan approach” by Fine Gael shows both their immaturity and in some sense their unsuitability to be in government.
Niall Collins also of Fianna Fáil said Fine Gael’s “flip-flop” over the pairing issue “highlights the economic illiteracy at the heart of the party”.
“The fact that they were prepared to block the Taoiseach in the first instance is also another disappointing example of the Fine Gael party putting petty politics before the country’s recovery,” he said referring to the party’s initial declaration they would refuse Mr Cowen a pairing to attend the Asia-Europe summit.