Pledging economic stability and a surge in infrastructure spending, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on Wednesday published a programme for government for the next five years, agreed with nine Independent TDs.
The new government will take office after Micheál Martin is elected taoiseach next Wednesday and will have a majority of 17 on the Dáil floor after the two Healy-Rae brothers from Kerry agreed to join seven other Independent TDs of the Regional Independent Group in supporting the new coalition.
Other political parties have been reacting to the programme for government. Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty criticised the document on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, stating that it lacked ambition and vision.
Key Reads
- Report: Incoming coalition promises ramped up infrastructure spending and economic stability
- Jennifer Bray analyses government promises: The word “explore” appears 34 times and “examine” 86 times in programme for government document
- Main points: What’s in the programme for government?
- Listen: In The News podcast – The deals, calculations and compromises that went into the making of the new government
Fianna Fáil secures substantially longer stint in Taoiseach’s office
Politicial Editor Pat Leahy reports: Fianna Fáil has secured a substantially longer period in the Taoiseach’s office than Fine Gael under the terms of the programme for government, an examination of its terms reveal.
Micheál Martin is expected to be elected Taoiseach next Wednesday when the Dáil meets and he – or the next leader of Fianna Fáil, in the event of his resignation – will remain in the office until November 16th, 2027. Simon Harris – or whoever is leader of Fine Gael at that point – will then become Taoiseach with the support of Fianna Fáil and Independent deputies and will remain in office until after the next election.
According to the programme for government, the date of the next election will be agreed between the two party leaders, but will be called “no sooner than after the enactment of the principal measures to be announced in the Budget in late 2029″. In practical terms, that means that the next election should be held either in late 2029 or in early 2030 (the latest it can be is late February 2030) – the same choice that faced the outgoing government last year.
Martin will be Taoiseach for 1028 days – the length of time between next Wednesday and November 16th, 2027. How long Harris is in the Taoiseach’s office depends on when the next general election is. If the government chooses to have the election on November 29th, 2029 – exactly five years after the last election – Harris will be Taoiseach for 744 days, plus however long it takes to form a government afterwards. If you count to January 22nd, 2030, then he will be Taoiseach for an additional 54 days, bringing it up to 798 days.
Either is significantly behind Fianna Fail’s share of time in the Taoiseach’s office – a reflection of the fact Fianna Fail won ten more seats than Fine Gael.
Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney has suggested that verbal deals were done with Independent TDs during government formation talks.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show, Ms Gibney said that the actual programme for government seemed to be “a crude collation of the two Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael manifestoes”.
”There doesn’t seem to be much presence of the rural independents within that document. So the question then becomes, well, what are they getting? And I think what we’re hearing is that it’s not in writing, but it is very clearly the case.
“We all, of course within the Dáil, push for our own consistency, but it absolutely should not be a negotiation within the development of a programme for government which is for the people of Ireland.”
Ms Gibney said she hoped that the new government could address the “really significant problems” in Irish society, but she felt that the main parties and the Independents were “really dancing around the issue.” – Vivienne Clarke
Kerry TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae will not be “whipped” when it comes to “fundamental issues” and “matters of conscience”.
Michael Healy-Rae told Radio Kerry that they would not be changing their views on issues such as abortion and assisted dying. “On matters of conscience – because there might be a lot of people that would be religious people and people of faith and we like to think we’re very humble in that regard – when it comes to matters such as abortion, such as assisted dying or anything like that, we’re not changing our views.
“Our own opinions on issues like that, because if there would be votes in the future on matters such as that, they would be free votes.”
He added: “When it comes to the fundamentals we’re not changing that way for anyone, but we will be loyal servants of this government and we would represent the government and we will fly the flag for the government.”
Mr Healy-Rae said that once they did a deal, they would stick with it “through thick and thin”.
They went to Dublin and “put their cards on the table” in the government formation talks. They had highlighted concerns about projects in Kerry that had been “stalled” which they now expected to see “progressed.” – Vivienne Clarke
Catherine Cox, head of communications with Family Carers Ireland, told RTE radio’s Morning Ireland that while the government’s decision to abolish the means test for family carers – a barrier in accessing vital financial support – was welcome, there was a need to ensure that the pledge was implemented and translated into reality as past commitments have not always materialised.
“There are significant promises in this draft programme for government,” Ms Cox said. “If they were truly executed... this would have a real positive impact on family carers’ lives.”
Elaine Tighe, chief executiuve of Disability Federation, said on Morning Ireland that commitments to those with disabilities in the programme for government was “promising”. – Vivienne Clarke
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty said that there was “nothing new” in the programme for government. “There’s no big ideas, there’s no vision,” he said.
“If people wanted a continuation of what we had under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael under the last five years – that’s what they’ve got.
“Indeed, the word ‘continue’ appears 249 times in the report - so, that’s the dominant factor in this Programme for Government and I think that’s disappointing.”
