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FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin has said there are “significant issues to be resolved” but refused to rule out a coalition with Sinn Féin following the general election.
Speaking to RTÉ for the first time today minutes after Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire topped the poll ahead of him in Cork South Central, Martin said that “principles don’t change overnight” but that issues can be teased out.
Asked about the formation of a government in the RDS today, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that her “first port of call is the other parties” aside from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
Sinn Féin is on course to significantly increase it’s seat count in the Dáil and tallies have indicated the party has won the largest number of first preference votes.
Asked whether he is expecting to speak to McDonald, Martin said he thinks all sides should “let things calm down today”.
“We’ll assess it when the full count is in and the full number of seats are in. I’m a democrat. I listen to the people, I respect the decision of the people,” he said.
That said, for any government to sustain, there has to be compatibility in terms of the programme for government. It has to be coherent, and it has to be sustainable and deliverable. And there are very significant issues that can’t be glossed over in the euphoria of a of an election day and the all of the tension and the interest and excitement around it.
“And so I think, over the next number of days people will assess that situation in terms of such a policy platform,” he added.
“The country must come first, we put it first in 2016, and we facilitated a confidence and supply agreement. We facilitated the formation of a functioning government the last time. We’re now entering into a different fragmented political landscape, which I think is going to make the formation of a government very difficult,” Martin said.
During the election campaign Martin repeatedly said he would not consider working in a coalition with Sinn Féin. Asked is that still his position, Martin said that “today is not the day”.
“I’ve heard the people speak today, the people have voted in numbers and I respect that. So, what I said to you fundamentally there is that for any government to sustain, there has to be compatibility in the political program of that government and also you know one’s policies and one’s position and principle doesn’t change overnight, and there are significant issues there, but as I say over the next number of days will tease those out, with all concerned.”
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Flip Flop party strikes again
@Shaun Gallagher: “The prevailing wind” or in this case “Mary Lou Monsoon”
@Shaun Gallagher: A likely coalition between Sinn Fein & the Green Party – called Guns & Roses
@Shaun Gallagher: A likely coalition between Sinn Fein & the Green Party – called Guns & Roses.
@lelookcoco: old as tea that line
Hate how they say pre election we will never go into government with SF…now look! Eat your words Mehole!
@Sean Collins: Never say never in politics, as you hold yourself a hostage to fortune. Politics 101, chapter one, verse one, on day one. Breathtakingly myopic.
@The Risen: ‘I never make predictions, and I never will’
Sinn fein with 22%, a shameful day for Ireland. Let the far left in so and watch them being shown up. For the people who get up early in the morning and work hard, hello to even higher income taxes.
@Mark Kelly: completely untrue, they are not about taxing those of us who get up early (6am for me). You’d want to do something about the chip on that shoulder mark.
@Mark Kelly: what a load of unadulterated tripe. I know plenty of high-earning people with very good jobs, probably up out of bed before you, who were not only voting for Sinn Féin but were actively pushing for their election.
@Mark Kelly: 1. Sinn Fein are center left. 2. They’re actually on around 24%
:)
@Mark Kelly:I don’t mind paying more if I can see what my money’s being spent in and not wasted, people have been fed up not getting their money’s worth on nearly every state project
@Mark Kelly: only if you fall into the imaginary category of being above the “ working mans” wage. Funny how the working man category includes people that don’t work.
@Mark Kelly: I’m already looking forward to the next election, sinn fein overall majority :)
@Mark Kelly: so the people that earn over 100k are the get up early people?
Wake up you sheep, open your eyes.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: Nonsense. The crazy spending SF and PBP have promised has to come from somewhere, namely us.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: and lots of people that get up at 6 and earn a good wage but are not looked on as the working man by some parties. It’s what the left do. Pit hardworking people against each other and blame one section for the ills of others.
@Mark Kelly: What did I get for paying 33% of my salary in taxes last year?
I got a 15 hour wait in A&E for an X-ray.
Yes FFG have been doing a great job, a great job of screwing people like me.
@Laughable: no but they do and work hard and pay a S$1t load of tax already. Do you think it’s right that’s a family with one income would pay more than a family with double their income. That’s what SF want.
@Mark Kelly: 24.2%. The most popular party. The people have spoken. Deal with it.
@Mark Kelly: Please read the costed SF manifesto and query what figures you dispute with the people who produced them in the Department of Finance :)
@John fitzpatrick: no! People over 100k, with 2 income families they don’t have to combine their tax credits. That’s their choice and they can change it.
So if they had for example they both earn 70k, all the have to do is contact revenue and pay tax as individuals and hence not pay a higher 100k+ tax rate. Most double income families pay tax as individuals anyway.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: what’s a high earning job, because if it’s over €140000 I don’t know any other high earners who are voting for them
@Mark Kelly: The working population (under 65) were overwhelmingly pro-SF.
@Mark Kelly: having read their manifesto and spoken to one of their now elected candidates myself and my wife and family will be better off if SF get into power and deliver on their promises and i would imagine a lot of other people will be in the same boat so what you are saying is complete tripe
@Mark Kelly: far left me hole.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I know of no high earning person who voted Sinn Féin. Turkeys and Christmas etc
@Laughable: thanks for making my point for me. Two earner families on 90k each will now pay less tax. A one earner family on 110k will pay more. Where the logic please?
@Mark Kelly: like the low tax economy FFG gave us ?? Property Tax, USC, cuts to pensions, postponed raided private pensions, carbon tax. Oh and as of just now, SF has the biggest mandate in the State. They can’t be ignored or shoved to the periphery now.
@The Risen: as produced by Dept if Finance? You’re having a laugh. That Dept couldn’t write a birthday card.
To paraphrase: “These are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others”
LOL! Oh how the mediocre have fallen. The leader of the Irish political juggernaut not even topping his own constituency!!
@The Risen: surely Sinn Féin wouldn’t consider coalition with FF would they?
@Mark Andrew Salmon: But Mehole ruled it out during the week, remember?
@The Risen: it just enforces the reality that you can’t believe a word out of Micheál Martin’s mouth, same with Varadkar.
This is the most exciting day I’ve ever witnesed in Irish politics.
@Blind Faith: lol, it’s like transfer deadline day!!!!
@Mark Andrew Salmon: a chance to be in govt? They wouldn’t pass on that
@The Risen: if SF join with FF, SF better not renege on their rent freeze promise or they’ll be looking more like renua on next polling day.
Of course he does! It’s the FF and FG way to lie. Scare the public from voting SF and now look at him wiggle his way into government. Himself and Leo would jump to work with SF. Micheál knows it’s his last chance at becoming Taoiseach and get this big pension. And Leo knows his chances of getting into European government are slim now unless he gets his name out there with the Brexit situation. Weasels the both of them
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: By the way, Leo turning a blind eye to every crisis in this country while focusing on Brexit was for one reason and one reason only… he wants a job in European Government in the future because there’s another pension attatched to it. He is a weasel, both are weasels
He may be forced into coalition with SF to keep them from ruining our country with their magic figures in their manifesto. Sadly, the 18-24 year olds have no idea of the recent past history in our country and the mayhem caused by the IRA who ultimately control SF.
Sad day for Ireland.
@Peter Daly: Sad day for the haves and have mores like yourself Peter
@Peter Daly: I honestly hope you lot and your like keep harping on about the same rhetoric, as its done nothing but help sinn fein :) thanks
@Peter Daly: They do not give a thumpenny feck about it. Why? Will it help them buy a house? Will it help them have affordable rents? Will it mean they dont wait god knows how many hours on a hospital trolley?
Take your head out of the sand lad, you cant change what happened in the past, but you can certainly influence the future..
@Peter Daly: you must have missed the 2008 FF memo then. You know, the one that fcked the country ?
This wouldn’t be the worst outcome. I’d rather see SF have and miss their shot at governing as a junior party than wait around another 5yrs years in opposition spouting populist fairytales and consolidating their support into a majority in 2025.
Lets give them their time to botch now under the supervision of FF so we can confine them to the annals of political history in the next few years.
@Jim Devance: Absolutely. I’d also like to see Richard Boyd Barrett in government, and see where he pulls the 8 billion in extra spending a year from.
@Jim Devance: why would Sinn Fein be a junior party u howl?
@Mark Kelly: yep time to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk
@Mark Kelly: here’s an idea, you see when they are are drawing up contracts for building works or whatever, get a person who knows how to negotiate a contract, billions saved straightaway, amirite
Snake
Even before he is invited to talk he lies. Quote ” we will never go into government with Sinn Fein”.
Wasnt long before he changed his tune!
He’s an utter embarrassment.
@Mel Fitzpatrick: Absolutely, to himself, his party and the nation. Lass than a week ago he made it clear that both he and his colleagues in Fianna Fáil would never consider a coalition with Sinn Féin.
He said “I’ve laid of my stall on that but it’s also about the future as well,” going on to say, “do not underestimate the strength of will within the Fianna Fáil party.” Strong upstanding men and women of Ireland the lot of them, with spines of… well, elastic it seems.
In an interview with RTÉ last week Micheál said “his party is “united” behind the position of ruling out Sinn Féin as a coalition partner.” Yet today, at the prospect of losing out on the power he, and Leo, thought was his for the taking he’s a 180 degree change of heart. Clearly he’s motivated by power, noting else.
I really, really hope Sinn Féin can for a government with someone else and tell Micheál and Leo where they can go.
https://www.thejournal.ie/micheal-martin-sinn-fein-4990475-Feb2020/
Why are people surprised when Mehole lies ….
The least shocking result of this election: Martin is a turncoat who can’t keep his word.
For the love of God the shinners are a party of financial illiterates,terrorists and naive ideologues whose only stint in power has been an utter disaster and farce.Please don’t leave them anywhere near govt or we’ll end up as screwed up as the north.
@Patrick Daly: Financial illiterates? LOL! You don’t remember Pearse handing Michael Noonan his ass on the Fiscal space, no?
@The Risen: hardly handed him his rear and if they are allowed near the finances we as a country are going headlong into an economic and employment meltdown that we may never truly recover from
@Patrick Daly: Don’t know if you missed todays results, but the scaremongering doesn’t work any more.
@Patrick Daly: “The phantom €2B:How everyone except Sinn Fein got the maths wrong” Journal.ie!
The SF manifesto proposal re intangible assets was recommended by Irish Fiscal Advisory Council to FG Government but they didn’t need that recommendation,but SF would follow that expert advice and Stephen Kinsella Associate Professor of Economics at ULs Kemmy Business School said it was an excellent idea that would fund the Exchequer handsomely and help offset the inevitable loss of revenue from the introduction of new OECD rules on digital taxes!
We’ve had an economic and employment meltdown,we now have ongoing National emergencies in homelessness,housing and health,etc that need urgent effective attention and good policies.We told eg that housing emergency is a theatre to the economy and competitiveness by Government Advisory Body and Irish Competitiveness Council.
@Patrick Daly: ..you’ve described how FF started out…..so what’s the difference?
Fianna Fáil as usual will do anything to be power. It’s about the party, not the country…..Mehole didn’t exactly set the Health Service on fire either when he was Minister
SF shouldn’t entertain getting into bed with these corrupt, economic wasters.
Great Uturn already Mehole
OMG! and the people voted for this gobshit*.
Meanwhile, Michael Ring elected in Mayo….the king of funeral attendance, parish pump politics and hand shaking everyone on the train up and down from Westport to Dublin…..muppet.
FF dirt. Traitors. Dirt where is DOB now. A FFG Fixer
Let’s sit back and watch Sinn Fein cripple this country. People have short memory’s
@Ollie kehoe: So do you. It was actually FF that crippled the country. FG handed the wheelchair to the Germans.
@Ollie kehoe: When were Sinn Féin in power here before?
Hypocrite
Well if He goes back off his word now, well that is it as far as I’m concerned. Time for Him to go .
@Eugene Comaskey: I’d prefer Ff/SF to FG/SF, but I’d more prefer SF to go it with left leaning parties but they won’t have the numbers.
Martin was always going to jump in to bed with anyone who made him top dog. But 60% of his own members are opposed to SF.
@Perlum Sprite: 60% of FF against SF yesterday you mean. …..they’ll be easily talked to tomorrow when they scent power of office. ..
They’ll all be horse trading to dosh out the mercs and perks……Meanwhile the country is a bankrupted vassal state of the EU.
KaChing!
I only gave ff my 3rd and 4th based on them saying they would never go in with sf. Should have known better.
@Peter: If they do that shame on them! They’re so called policies are opposite to that of Sinn Fein.
If it’s a hung parliament they should be brave enough to back for another vote against a lot more sinn fein candidates. And if SF win so be it, the ppl will have spoken. If not so be it that democracy.
Yeah show me the golden goose and I’ll fill my pockets…. all self serving grasping for power… oh how they change their tune
Flip flop party of mehole FF party, do anything to get power!
Pass the salt….
He has no morals. The article that introduced the HSE which multiplied managers in an already over managed institution.
Michael Martins is going to sell his soul to be Taoiseach.
Rat
he is an F. F’r who is also a politician. Before he is booted out for lying to the electorate, he wants to be Taoiseach. Hopefully, in the next election Fianna Fail, the Former Republican Party will go the same way as the Labour Party – to its final demise.
Gerry Adams says flatuançe is acurse
You’re a treasonous traitor who should be hung from O Connell bridge and left there to rot so every body can see what happens to traitors. The death penalty for causing so many deaths in this country.
Two faced gutless hypocrite.
Hes a pure liar
As my Granny used to say … eat up all your cabbage and spuds before you start on your bit of corned beef.
He failed to listen to the voters during the last 4 years
Pro abortion
FF policies are only for minorities
Not for majorities!
Time for Martin to resign in shame!
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