Donegal TD reveals secret talks and suggests inevitable SF will be part of government soon
Donegal TD Thomas Pringle has said it is only a matter of time before Fine Gael or Fianna Fail does a deal with Sinn Féin to form a government.
In a wide ranging Hot Press interview Mr Pringle - who describes himself as a “Republican” independent – went on: "Fine Gael will go into coalition with whoever will keep them in power! Like Fianna Fail.”
"The thing over the next while is whether Sinn Féin will sell themselves out for power. The jury’s still out on that. And that’s the reality of the situation. So, I don’t care what Sinn Féin are going to do.”
Mr Pringle's interview comes hot on the heels of Minister Jim Daly stating in a recent Hot Press Interview that he has “no ideological objection” to going into coalition with Sinn Féin.
Didn't think I'd end up discussing my long hair and obsession with AC/DC in my twenties but there you go... thanks for the interview Jason O'Toole! @hotpress pic.twitter.com/NOjZpmQ4o0
— Thomas Pringle T.D. (@ThomasPringleTD) June 7, 2018
The Donegal TD – whose father was a former IRA member who was once on death row for the murder of two Guards back in 1980 – also claimed that Tánaiste Simon Coveney held two secret meetings with him in order to canvass him for his support prior to Fine Gael going into government in 2016.
“I met Simon Coveney on two occasions in the run-up to the formation of government ... and probably, if I had come onboard with them, it would’ve given them a strong sense that they were doing something right. But there was obviously no way that I could have accepted what they were proposing.
"To have to go along with what the government was doing just to get stuff for your own constituency, that’s not something I could live with myself on.”
Mr Pringle also told Hot Press’ senior editor Jason O’Toole that he finds it ridiculous that Gerry Adams still maintains that he wasn’t a member of the IRA.
“It is farcical. But it is probably understandable too.”
In an outspoken interview Mr Pringle also discussed why he believes his constituency of Donegal was the only one to reject the 8thAmendment referendum.
“There were a number of reasons for it. Donegal has been left behind. When I ask questions about Donegal in the Dáil, the government says Donegal is doing well because unemployment figures have dropped – it’s emigration that has dropped the unemployment figures.
"So, a kind of protest vote is a factor. Another factor is that other politicians who were supposed to be supporting the referendum didn’t actually put the work in!”
In the interview Mr Pringle goes on to discuss the impact of suffering a stroke last year, Brexit, Donald Trump, Northern Ireland, his father’s time in prison and losing his virginity.
