Government must be stable in Ireland ahead of Brexit, says Donohoe
The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe says the Government needs to know where it stands with Fianna Fáil on the Confidence and Supply agreement.
Both parties have agreed to talks in the coming weeks to try to secure an extension to the current deal, agreed back in 2016.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has indicated the talks may not begin until after the EU Brexit summit next week.
Minister Donohoe says it is important the political situation remains stable here against a backdrop of uncertainty over Brexit.
"What I believe is important is given the speculation which has even intensified today, given the fluidity of British politics at the moment and the impending importance of the European Council meeting next week and what will take place in November that we do need to know where we stand," said Minister Donohoe.
"We have to enter into that period of uncertainty with a stable environment here in Ireland."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has earmarked Halloween as a potential deadline for concluding the exchanges.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told the Dáil this evening that the Taoiseach had “spent much of this year trying to create an instability which would allow him to collapse his own government”.
“Yet again this week we see stories based on Fine Gael sources focused not on getting to grips with the housing and health emergencies or the cost of living crisis – but on when it suits them to force an election,” Mr Martin said.
“We need to put these games aside and to focus on the issues at hand.”
