Martin: 'Regressive, right-wing' Fine Gael not a coaltion option
Micheal Martin says he wants to be back in government after the next election - but not with Fine Gael.
"I am preparing to be the next Taoiseach," Martin said in an interview on RTÉ Radio 1 this morning.
In separate comments today, the Fianna Fáil leader said his party will bring forward new ideas, and wants to be in government to put them into practice.
He was responding to comments from the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, who says the two parties are incompatible.
Martin agreed, but said Fine Gael is too right-wing to share power with Fianna Fáil.
"We want to contribute in Government in the next general election - depending, of course, in the wishes of the people," he said.
"We have policies, we have ideas … the Fine Gael party, in our view, has been very regressive and very right-wing in its policies, and they would not, in any shape or form, be comfortable bed-fellows with us."
However, he may find his options limited, as the Labour party leader Joan Burton said her party would "not be rushing to" a coalition with Fianna Fáil, "given that we've been dealing with [their legacy] with the horrors the country fell into".
Martin also called for a relief on water charges in the forthcoming Budget for working families - singling out families with four or five working adults, including those with grown children at home.
