THINGS ARE GETTING tetchy between the coalition parties as they face into an election showdown in the coming weeks.
Tensions are appearing to show between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party in recent days, as expectations grow that Taoiseach Simon Harris will call an election next week.
The three government parties are making moves to distance and differentiate themselves from one another.
One area of contention, the new traffic strategy, which Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman told reporters yesterday he was getting “pushback” on from his coalition partners, as well as some other measures too.
Rounding on his government partners, he said:
“Look, my view was we work all the way to the end of Cabinet, to the end of this government, we continue to bring meaningful proposals forward. That’s what our party has done, that’s what I’m doing across my department. I’d no kind of sense that we were going to, you know, down tools two weeks out.”
The Green Party wants the Cabinet to sign off on a strategy – just before the general election is called – but Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will not sign off on the plan.
O’Gorman said party is not proposing any imminent anti-pollution tax, stating that it is merely a plan as to how to fill the gap of falling motor tax payments as drivers move to electric vehicles.
The minister said yesterday that the strategy just looks at “potentials”, stating “this isn’t a taxation document”.
The Taoiseach, when asked about the spat, said the Government is supposed to be “anti-carbon” and not “anti-car” as he ruled out adopting a new strategy to tackle pollution and congestion days before a general election is called.
Using language he might not have used some weeks ago, Harris slapped down the idea, stating that it was “not the right time” as the Government enters into its final days before an election.
Such discussions would usually be dealt with behind closed doors at the leaders weekly meeting, but when there’s only days left for this Cabinet, there’s no need for niceties.
“I think it’s very important that we recognise that there is still a need for cars in this country, and many people will have switched to electric vehicles. They need roads to drive on. Our public transport needs good road infrastructure as well.
“This government has neared the end of its time in office. I don’t think the Government has a mandate at this stage to come at the Irish people with a range of new charges and taxes, I’m not in favour of it, and any governments that I’m a part of won’t progress things around tolls and congestion charges.”
Meanwhile Fianna Fáil sources said the Greens are “great at playing the smaller party tricks when it suits them”.
It is understood that those in Micheál Martin’s party have been voicing their anger that money that has been left unspent on greenway projects can’t be diverted to shovel-ready road building schemes.
This is due to the Programme for Government’s commitment that spending on public transport would exceed investment in road building schemes by a ratio of two-to-one.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his Cabinet colleague yesterday, Finance Minister Jack Chambers championed his party’s advocacy for road building, hinting of the frustration his party has felt with Green Party around such issues.
“There has been a stop/start nature to certain roads projects in this government, which has impeded progress around certain roads projects across the country. And that’s been a point of frustration for Fiann Fáil in government. We obviously will set out our proposals in the context of infrastructure delivery over the next five years and in the Fianna Fáil manifesto,” said Chambers.
The game-playing between government parties appears to be expected, with O’Gorman stating:
I expect everyone’s elbows are going to be out over the next couple of weeks.
He said there is “no doubt” that there will be “clashes” over the next couple weeks.
While he defended the government’s record on delivery, O’Gorman said he believes the Greens participation in it has made it a better government.
With tensions rising between the parties and the calling of the election imminent, talk has turned as to when the Taoiseach will seek to dissolve the Dáil and when a polling day will be declared.
Harris said this week that he will not be “dilly dallying” around after the Finance Bill is passed and will provide clarity as to when the general election will be.
The bill is expected to be debated for four hours next Tuesday in the Dáil, with TDs voting on the bill on Wednesday night.
The draft Dáil schedule for Wednesday includes a number of other legislative items to be concluded, fueling expectations that the Taoiseach will travel to Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday to seek a dissolution of the Dáil.
However, the president is scheduled to deliver the Kofi Annan Eminent Speakers’ Lecture next Thursday between 2pm and 4pm, meaning Harris could not travel to Áras an Uachtaráin to speak to the president between those hours.
The president is likely to be preparing for the speech in the hours before it begins, further ruling out the time available for Harris to travel to the Áras.
In addition, a press release from Áras an Uachtaráin this afternoon confirms that the lecture will be delivered live online from the State Reception Room, which is the room that is traditionally used for any announcement of the Dáil dissolution.
The hiccup could mean the Taoiseach might have to wait until Thursday evening or early Friday morning to travel to Áras an Uachtaráin, unless Harris decides to pay a visit late on Wednesday evening.
However, further doubt on a Friday announcement has been cast with the Taoiseach confirming that he plans to travel to Budapest for an informal EU Council meeting that day.
What will the exact choreography of the week be? Harris said that is something that will become clear in the coming days.
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