The joint framework document agreed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is the first serious step towards the formation of the next government. A number of things will have to fall into place before the process is brought to a conclusion and there is no guarantee of success. The outcome will depend on the willingness of three smaller parties in the Dáil to engage constructively in the process.
The framework document is underpinned by a series of worthy aspirations. Chief among them are the ambitions of reigniting and renewing the economy, the provision of universal healthcare, housing for all, a new green deal and a better quality of life for everybody. These are admirable goals but meeting them is going to be a politically difficult and costly exercise.
The document recognises that the first task facing the country is working through the Covid-19 emergency which has affected so many people through death, illness or the loss of employment. It points to the fear and anxiety that have gripped every home while also noting that the State and its people have responded with unity, purpose and determination.
The scale of the challenge in getting the country back to some kind of normality in the months ahead will test that unity and determination to the limit. It will require a high degree of political skill and social partnership to devise a fair and equitable response to the variety of problems created by the economic shock.
It is in recognition of this that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have not simply come together to form the core of the next government but have appealed to the Greens, the Social Democrats and Labour to seriously consider entering a coalition to give it the broadest possible base to deal with the many difficult decisions that lie ahead.
Taking responsibility for tough decisions is what is making those smaller parties so wary about entering government. In the past decade both the Greens and Labour have been punished severely by the electorate for their involvement in taking hard but necessary action to save the economy and they are naturally reluctant to repeat the experience.
However, they should note the acknowledgement by the two civil war parties in the framework document that there will be no going back to the old way of doing things and that the radical actions required to protect as many people as possible during the health emergency have heralded a new approach to serious social problems, and particularly a greater role for the State. Getting a number of different parties to put aside their differences with the objective of rescuing the economy, rebuilding the country and renewing society will be no simple task but all of them have a duty to seriously consider how they should face up to their responsibilities in this unprecedented crisis.