Politics

Public impatient for government to be formed, says Seán Haughey

Fianna Fáil TD says ‘time is coming’ for his party and Fine Gael to talk

Seán Haughey: ‘There has been no communication from the Taoiseach.’ Photograph: Eric Luke
Seán Haughey: ‘There has been no communication from the Taoiseach.’ Photograph: Eric Luke
Fiach Kelly
Sat Mar 26 2016 - 01:00

Fianna Fáil TD Seán Haughey has said the public is becoming "impatient" about the lack of progress on government formation, and that the "time is coming" for his party and Fine Gael to talk.

The Dublin Bay North TD said a grand coalition between the two parties was “not on”, but he acknowledged that acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny was in the “driving seat” to form a minority government.

Mr Haughey said Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin was continuing negotiations with Independents and smaller parties with a view to forming a Fianna-Fáil led minority government. He said that Fine Gael would need support from Fianna Fáil were it to form a minority government.

Other Fianna Fáil TDs have also said privately that the public is becoming impatient. It is claimed by some that Mr Martin has not been as active as Mr Kenny in courting Independents, with some saying he has become resigned to supporting a Fine Gael-led minority government from opposition.

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One Independent TD yesterday said that Fine Gael had been “deadly serious” in its approaches but that Fianna Fáil was also tabling solid proposals. Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will continue their talks with Independents next week, ahead of the Dáil vote on candidates for taoiseach on April 6th.

Fine Gael will resume its talks on Tuesday, when a policy document on housing will be tabled. It is understood that an option being examined by the party is to use some of a multibillion "future jobs investment fund" outlined in its manifesto for housebuilding programmes and schemes to support rural Ireland.

Mr Kenny has already said he will appoint a minister for housing and will introduce action plans for housing, with published updates and progress reports. It would be modelled on the Action Plan for Jobs scheme implemented by the last government.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Haughey said “problems are mounting up” and “the people want a government”.

“The time is coming that there has to be some form of communication,” he said. “There has been no communication from the Taoiseach, who is in the driving seat, leading the largest party.”