We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
LAST UPDATE | 2 May 2020
INCREASED PRESSURE HAS now been placed on political parties to form a government, as it was revealed that some of the Covid-19 pandemic measures for businesses will require new legislation.
Tax liability measures and credit guarantee scheme will both require legislation, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said at a briefing this afternoon – putting pressure on parties to form a government.
The “warehousing” of tax liability for 1 year after that business begins trading again, means that no debt enforcement action will be taken by Revenue, and no interest will be charged on that ‘warehoused’ debt.
The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme aims to encourage additional lending to small to medium businesses (from 10 to 100 employees) by offering a partial government guarantee to banks against losses on qualifying loans to small businesses.
Fianna Fáil’s finance spokesperson Michael McGrath said that the new legislation meant “more urgency” was needed to form a government.
Two of the key measures – credit guarantee scheme for firms & warehousing of tax liabilities – require legislation which in turn requires a new government. More urgency needed on that front.
Christina Finn / Twitter🚨 Uh oh. Tax liability and credit guarantee scheme will require legislation. 🚨
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) May 2, 2020
Donohoe says they will have to work with others to form a new government
Earlier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar urged the Greens to enter formal coalition talks as he expressed a willingness to meet their carbon emissions target.
Varadkar, who said he did not think a new government will be formed until June at the earliest, said Ireland’s economic recovery from Covid-19 could be “green not brown”.
Following February’s inconclusive election, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are courting the Greens, Labour and the Social Democrats as potential junior partners in a three or four party coalition.
The Greens’ pre-condition of only entering a government committed to a 7% reduction in carbon emissions has emerged as a potential deal breaker.
On RTE’s Late Late Show, Varadkar said he hoped another election could be avoided.
He said he was keen to meet the 7% target but said it had to be done with the buy-in of the farming and business communities.
“I am someone who believes and accepts we need to be more ambitious when it comes to climate action,” he said.
We’re very keen to meet that 7% target.
“We really want to sit down with them and work out how that can be done, but I think one of the things that has emerged that there are people, a lot of our farmers, people in rural Ireland, who are a little bit worried about what climate action might mean for them and their livelihoods and their business, a lot of people in the business community too who are worried about carbon tax and haulage and so on.
“We need to see more ambitious climate action as an opportunity, as an opportunity to remake agriculture, to give much better and secure incomes to our farmers for diversifying; creating lots of jobs around retrofit for example; becoming a net exporter of energy – so instead of importing all that oil and gas, exporting our wind power to other parts of the word.
“So climate action can actually be a big economy success story for Ireland. We can have a recovery that’s green not brown. That means bringing rural Ireland, bringing farmers, bringing the business community with us.”
Varadkar said a Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Green alliance would be the right political mix to achieve that consensus. He has repeatedly ruled out going into government with Sinn Féin, which earned the highest proportion of first preference votes and 37 seats in February’s general election.
“We are the parties that can do that, whereas a left-wing government they would be fighting with business and fighting with employers, it wouldn’t work,” he said.
Varadkar said it was unlikely a government could be formed in May, because even if a coalition deal was struck, all the parties would then have to seek the endorsement of their respective memberships.
“I think we could have a new government in June,” he said.
“I really hope we do by the way, because the country actually needs it.
The current government is functioning well at the moment but can’t go on like this forever, we’re making decisions at the moment without a parliamentary mandate in many ways.
- with reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
New election would be ideal.
@michal heba: I absolutely agree. The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.
@michal heba: Another election would be the death knell of a now noticeably, and completely irrelevant FF.
@Conan Campbell: Not really, SF don’t want to be in government now that they’ve come to realise we’re in a recession and their magic money tree is just that, magic.
@Paddy Kennedy: Nobody really knows what would happen if we had another election. One thing I would be fairly sue of though is that it would still require two of the big three to come together for a stable government. SF had no success in trying to form a government of left leaning parties & I don’t see that changing any time soon.
@Paddy Kennedy: Another election would be a run off between SF and FG. FF are now completely irrelevant.
@Paddy Kennedy: slab Murphy as minster of finance would sort out the ecomomy.
@Paddy Kennedy: Is that you guys in FF/FG are bully to talk to SF now?
@Chris Mc: Could he be any worse then what we have/ had?
http://www.financedublin.com/debtclock.php
@michal heba: think you will have to wait about four and a half years
@Paddy Kennedy: Funny but a few months ago Simon Harris threatened striking nurses with fines if they did not return to work when on strike. Varedkra stated there was no money to pay them…Blueshirts lost the election, It took a pandemic and Martin having to go cap in hand to Vareadkar to form a government. Seems the magic money tree that Vareadkar and Martin said NEVER EXISTED was there after all..The F.F./ Greens colition that broke the country which Martin and Ryan conveniently fail to mention are now seeking power with F.G. Sweet Jesus what a nation of fools we are.
@Chris Mc: and thats your only contibution. Sad
@Justin Gillespie: problem is many of the left leaning parties got in on the shirt tails of SF. Should there be another election I’m sure SF will find a few more failed town councillors to go for election and they will get a few more. But this will mean many of the PBP and other left wing candidates will miss out. So yes they will have more but their options for forming a government will be less. I think the greens won’t do as well either once it becomes clear the amount of money you and I will have to pay out of our pockets to reach their requirements.
So another election will be interesting but I think it will just result in a very similar outcome.
@Donal Desmond: same comment every day.
@Justin Gillespie: well we know for sure if we had another election there’d be an explosion of covid.
Such a stupid call for some people wanting an election again and again until they get the results they want.
Imagine if fg supporters came on here wanting another election until their numbers improved. We’d never hear the end of it.
Some people are just bare faced hypocrites.
@John fitzpatrick: is he wrong?
@John fitzpatrick: Yes. Will keep posting against the Cartel of FFGG…only difference between Martin and Vereadka..One broke the country..The other added to the mess .. Now Ryan will join this three ring circus.
@Donal Desmond: If you cant spell his name try and not work it into conversation so much. Var- Ad – Kar
We voted to reject these people months ago.
@Al Fresco: Only 25% did
@NotMyIreland: more than 25% did no body voted for a FF/FG/Green Government , the Majority voted to get FG out of government,
@Christybhoy67: the majority also voted not to have SF in government , not to have FF on government , as a matter of fact to your logic , the majority voted not to have anyone in government.
@Christybhoy67: the likes act as if FF and FG are the same party and use FFG. FF propped up FG last time and the people still vote in 73 TDs for the two parties. SF can’t make a government so the people certainly don’t want them in. FF and FG should be able to form a government so that is what the people want.
@Al Fresco: we voted not to reject them… what’s your point?
@John Buckley: the people clearly wanted sinn féin in power in any capacity. The fact ffg won’t even talk to them is anti democratic. Along with this draconian lockdown, or civil liberties are being trampled on and few of ye realise.
@King B: no they clearly didn’t vote for SF. 75% didn’t vote for them. Stop lying!
@Christybhoy67: no one voted for any kind of government. You vote for TDs. Nothing more.
@John Buckley: except those FF votes were garnered on LIES. MM called for Change and promised not to enter government with FG.
Let them go back to the electorate stating clearly that they will form a coalition together to maintain the Status Quo!!!!
@Joe: and 79% didn’t vote for this current set up.
@Joe: seems like the Greens are split down the middle, some in that party have come to realise the people didn’t vote for a FF/FG/GR government too. Seems also, that the sensible ones in that party would rather another election too!
@King B: there are enough seats to form a government without FF & FG. SF have made little or no effort to do that. If the people wanted SF in government they would be in government. FF & FG have the right not to talk to SF.
@Al Fresco: speak for yourself, I didn’t!
@King B: that’s a load of those bits that hand between your legs King. Only 24% wanted SF in power and I’d bet a good 40% of that number just voted for them as a protest.
@Bernard Sweeney: Play with the numbers whatever way suits your agenda. Fact is, no matter how many way you twist percentages, more people chose Sinn Fein than any other party.
@The Risen: so, you’re doing exactly what you’re accusing me of doing. You really have no clue, do you? I preferred your For Connolly moniker.
@Bernard Sweeney: haha, it really is ironic and hilarious that the paid SF ‘activist’ (social media trollbot) The Risen (For Connolly, Revolution IRL) is accusing me of having an agenda in playing with numbers. Unbelievable.
@Christybhoy67: Voters who voted for FF, FG or Greens all voted for each to be in government, the fact they all have to go in together is just the reality of the results.
@Bernard Sweeney: you are a crack pot.
@Pád: the people vote for TDs and they vote for the Taoiseach, who then forms a government. This is how it works and hoe the people get what they voted for. FF and FG are making efforts to do this while SF and their supporters are whinging that they one the popular vote and the people want them there. It’s a democracy, not a popularity contest. You are the one who needs to pull your head out of you ass and see how democracy works.
@NotMyIreland: Don’t think that was the original plan after Vareadkar called the election..F.G. lost, F.F. technically one seat ahead of S.F. ..Red sea poll putting F.F. at 14% .Martin will be over the moon. He will be down on two knees to Vareadkar after this.
@John Buckley: so your saying fg and ff are the same party ? I’m glad we got that sorted , there was I thinking they were 2 seperate entitys as both said they wouldn’t go into govt with each other but in order to keep sf out they they are going to amalgamate, I think sf should leave them to it and when they ( ff fg green ) either destroy each other or the country at the next electon make sure they have enough candidates they will walk it no matter what mud ffg try to throw at them….
Hold another election nobody wants this government
@Fran O’Keeffe: another election in the middle of a pandemic, sher what could go wrong…
@Fran O’Keeffe: Anybody but Sinn Fein. Thanks Fran.
@Pól Ó’hAodha: Anybody but FFG. Thanks Pól.
@Fran O’Keeffe: I’m all for that.
@Michael Turner: Hold another election in the middle of a pandemic?
You mean – refuse to talk to SF in the middle of a pandemic?
Yes- its FF/FG who in the end will be forcing another election- one that most people will want in the end, and they will also know who to blame!
@Angela McCarthy: keep up with the picture FG said even before the election they would not form a government with SF and none of the independents want to either…ie nobody wants to go into government with this toxic crew who haven’t a credible economic policy to their name.
@Fran O’Keeffe: yes they do otherwise the numbers would be different and Mary Lou would be leader but that’s life I guess
@Michael Turner: South Korea managed an election in the middle of a pandemic and managed to contain the spread of infection far better than Ireland. Don’t be a smart arse..
@Jun Stone: please describe, in bullet points for clarity, those economic policies of SF which you do not find to be credible.
@Fran O’Keeffe: I don’t think another election is going to do much if FG again refuse to work with SF.
@Angela McCarthy: I for one am quite happy they’re not talking to SF. Just wish they would forget about the greens too.
@FecklessBear: being realistic my friend, in any case another election would change very little. If anything FG have gained more popularity. The pandemic has damaged both FF and SF.
I hope another election will be held so, as a country, we can really reflect on the type of society we want going forward. It is a different world to when votes were counted a few months back. We know better what is essential. How people with disabilities and family carers and their services have been treated through this crisis is nothing short of disgusting. You can bet special needs service will be woefully slashed when the figures are counted at the end of this, because that’s what happened after the bank bail out. It is like people with disabilities are invisible and many carers are at the point of complete burnout with no light offered in terms of any real support.
@Carol Oates: It seems to me that the best place to be during lockdown is in rural areas.Might turn out that rural economies will be less impacted, tourism aside. The all around impact of Covid will be less felt in rural areas but despite all their claims to the contrary Green policies and rural living do not sit together. As you say we will or should appreciate better what is really important at the end of this How we treat the elderly and those with needs should be up there at the top.Im not confident that it will be no matter what government is formed.
@Bert Carolan: hmmm that ‘tourism aside’ bit is a wee bit more important to everywhere outside Dublin though – so many smes , restaurants , hotels , b nb , local transport providers in all the towns and villages need visitors to fuel their business , even the bigger places like Killarney etc need the revenues from peak seasons to steer through a year – ya cannot just say ‘tourism aside ‘ – it is way more complicated – targets of 7% are noble targets – but how it it actually paid for – we cannot let the greens Dublin centric view just decimate the rest of the country – if you read their policies in detail you will see how unrealistic they are to actually implement
He’s desperate now,fed up seeing his face tbh!
Keen to be all things to all people, but nothing to everyone!
@ThatLJD: Eamon must be holding out for the 7%.
@Logan Shepherd: Eamonn should be hung out to dry, why are they called Green? , it’s not for nothing. We, the country People of Ireland don’t need this Clown and his merry band. Just get on with it without them.
Why would the Greens believe him when Coveney described it as a measure which would decimate farmers? FG might “want” to meet the target but clearly won’t want to take any of the measures required for it to be a reality.
@Rochelle: perfidious Leo. Scripted speeches with all the right sound bites but no detail or commitment!!!
@Rochelle: you know well he said he won’t do it at the expense of farmers. The greens are prepaired to wipe out a way of life for their own ends and don’t give a fiddlers who they hurt in the process.
@M Bowe: And a bit of Seamus Heaney thrown in for good measure..such a class act…….NOT.
Ignoring the party that got most no1 seats is a disgrace
@James Delaney: doesn’t work that way thankfully, hopefully someone will explain it to you someday.
@Michael Turner:
Tell you what Michael, why don’t you explain it to us gombeens.
In your own words and not a copy & paste from the party handbook or one of Leo’s well prepared speeches …
@Justice Mickey: easy Justice. You vote for TDs. You have no say in government formation. The elected members are entitled to form a government what ever way they wish.
It’s simple.
@Justice Mickey: He must be struggling with it.
@David Corrigan:
Shazam37 explained it for him already.
@James Delaney: its not a disgrace when it doesn’t work that way! one day you will get it
@James Delaney: all that means is that SF got most no1 votes. That’s not how our democracy works.
They could have got 700k votes for one candidate and it would mean nothing overall.
Ff have more seats than them. SF had a chance to put together their government for change (lol) but failed. Why should ff or fg partner up with them when their policies are wildly different and incompatible?
@Bernard Sweeney: because the nation needs a government and there’s no indication that another election would change things or can even be safely run.
How long do we continue without a government – keeping Ministers in place that lost their seats? At what point does it become constitutionally untenable?
Incompatible they may be- but that’s what the People elected So at what point does “we don’t want to talk to them” just become selfish political self service.
Ultimately they’ve to work with what they have.
@SkylineSi: I already get it ..it’s just a shame the same look after the rich parties get in ..please stop voting fffg
@Shazam37:
Is your name Michael Turner… If not I didn’t ask you.
I actually know quite well how an “Elected government ” works thank you but I wanted Turner to answer .
All the greens are I interested is another carbon tax! With the country fecked, everyone out of work, Leo, tell them to go and jump!!!!!!l!!!
@Heisen berg1: why would another carbon tax be all the greens are interested in? What’s in it for them??
Surely improving the environment is the greens No1 priority..
@Heisen berg1: Eamon Ryan drives a very old VW transporter /caravelle big spluttering diesel van ..absolutely hilarious hypocrisy at its best while we’ve all to pay through the nose and drive electric cars ..do as I say not as I do !! Green me arse
It like watching the perfect storm. Why Green policy is and always has been an assault on normal life.
There’ll Be Another wholesale push on Irish countryside to industrialise it and visually destroy it with turbines as we continue to subsidise the biggest white lollipops in Europe. Your car being pushed off road and your life made harder forced onto inadequate.
Start with what works the mororways are uncongested move on work at home iniaitives and local hubs to work in an office type space. Staggered Buses on every motorway leaving every 15 mins.
Don’t force us into electric cars and cripple us economically , make our lives harder because we then get to say we are Green then and our countryside is destroyed. with clusters of 188m turbines..
@Albert Brennerman: you should run for election
@Cupid Stunt: He is spot in in what he states.
@David Corrigan: our lives getting harder is the price to pay for the lives we’ve led up to now.
All he’s said is “I don’t want my life to get harder”
In other words “saving the environment is fine so long as it doesn’t cost ME anything”. Which is typical of the selfish attitude which got us here in the first place.
@Albert Brennerman: ah sure let’s just let the environment fall to ruin.
That’ll be great for rural Ireland over the next 50 years.
@Shazam37: The last few weeks really did show how backwards we are as a country. Overnight over 1 million people were on the dole in this country. We need to look at the high cost of living in this country as too many people are living week to week. Extremely high taxes and no return for them.
It’s not the peoples fault that their tax contributions are wasted by failed publicans, auctioneers and teachers parading around the kip as politicians.
You need to start understand why people are thinking “I don’t want my life to get harder”.
@David Corrigan: Don’t call Ireland a kip… you are very disrespectful to our citizens who have been brilliant in the current crisis.
@Fionn Darland: Great country. Great people. Badly managed though which makes it a kip. The people of this country deserve a whole lot better than they are getting.
The current crisis proved what a great people we are for sure. The majority of folk followed the rules to a tee. Showed generosity to the less well off or those living alone. Nobody can take that from our people.
@David Corrigan: have you actually looked at the lineup SF are presenting as capable of running the country. Some of them were not even deemed fit to run a town 10 months ago.
@David Corrigan: it is ENTIRELY their fault their taxes are wasted. They vote for these
People. No one to blame but themselves.
Political parties aren’t football clubs. You don’t give them loyalty for life. That FF won a single vote after 2007 mystifies me. They should have been finished. Done. Obliterated. Every single one of them – never again to hold public office. But instead you have FF die hards that don’t care that Micheal Martin bankrupted the country.
It is ENTIRELY our fault taxes are squandered.
@John fitzpatrick: Have a look what F.F.G..have in their line up. Veardkar lost the election. It took a pandemic and Martin having to go cap in hand to Vareadkar to form a government. An appetite for government was miraculously given to F.G. to enter a toxic colition with F.F.and the Greens. Hypocrisy at it’s best.
@Shazam37: I fully agree with you.
@John fitzpatrick: Fresh faces and fresh ideas John. We can’t keep continuing with FF and FG rotating their places at the top table when clearly the have no interest or ability to manage the country correctly.
Here we go , it’s soul selling time for ffg.
No matter, let the greedy beast eat itself from the inside out.
When this cabal collapses (and it will happen) there will be 3 parties joining labour.
I’d give it a year before the cracks appear.
I sincerely hope this is not going to be Government policy. This country, simply, can not afford the inevitable huge “cost of living” increase it would entail. Another mad bit of Green policy and demand is to earmark 20% of the transport budget to cycle paths and walkways. The whole thing is mad.
@John Hanrahan: why is that “mad”? What’s wrong with cycling and walking?
He can not answer one question without a answer on a sheet of paper, written down by his new teacher from trinity college.. every show he has be ef n on, ele6time show, he reads answers from papers.. he is not a spiritual man.. he is into this way ty o make more money for ff, fg, labour, as most of them have both property of houses that banks took of people who could not pay the high rates of money owed.. and the extremely high rates of rent they charge, and will not change the law to stop some rented landlords, ones who are registered, and now most have gone private, so they do not pay tax, or not told by Government to not, stop raising rent when they want.. all people can see.. that over the last 30 years, FF, FG, Labour and independent members ran this Country Ireland,
@Dartin Molan: What a fantastically incoherent rant.
@Dartin Molan:
I would love if Mary Lou McDonald purposely pulled out a piece at her next interview JUST to see if the papers are as nice and kind-worded as they were with Leo.
Please do it.
If the papers scrutinised FG/FF the same way they slate any other party then I’d probably find them more appealing. But no, they won’t ask them the difficult questions. #tellmeaboutyoursocks
He should read some more dear Leo letters!
Let’s just keep the lockdown going, we’re smashing our emissions level output.
What do they not understand that we don’t want them full stop
Can’t believe that fella is going to be in government after his salad speech a month ago. We need leaders not panic merchants
Simple solution, a national unity government formed to pass legislation, that broadly reflects the result of the election, followed by another election when the dust settles. Its the only solution that respects voters.
We reap what we sow
He’d say mass to get them on board.
Leo was quick to tell us he lost the election. He’s using the pandemic to cling to power and its disgusting. His wooden display last night was a joke.
And he’s not lying..
@Gary O CONNOR: Chuckle…
He should show him his magic wand for closure
Country being blackmailed by the Martians, little Green people holding us to ransom. This 7% is beyond the threshold of realism.
@James Keogh: then why did Ireland sign up to it?
@Shazam37: It should start at 4% initially and increase over two years, as we work out of COVIS 19, makes sense.
Another GE please
Two clowns better invite mehole martin he might feel left out
FF/FG trying to frighten us into thinking they are the only choice. Fresh elections are needed badly.
jaysus leo anyone but him ffs
Ff@fg are going green anything for power
Get in there Green Party and some Independents. Make a difference and push for your policies rather than snipering! from the sidelines.
Yes yes more urgency please……. hello anybody ………. hello
Of course he his the piece of excrement
It should be as Taoiseach claiming the average industrial wage cause that’s what I do. Take home the absolute average industrial wage. Sinners are winners and we never tell a lie
Ff@fg
It’s permanent government that runs the state Mary Martin or Leo it make no odds and it go on own sweet way
Here’s how they hold the green party against the wall so
have your say