Michael McGrath: 'Some Fine Gael ministers' want election to get out of portfolios 'because they are failing'

Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy said he believes the public would be quite happy if a general election was held next month.

The Cork North Central TD who will not be seeking re-election said that there is a window of opportunity to take advantage of a pause in Brexit negotiations

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There has been speculation that Fine Gael may seek to go to the country now that the Brexit deadline has been extended until 31 January.

Mr Murphy added that he did not believe the people of Ireland would forgive the leaders of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael for having to face a general election here when the rest of Europe is deciding on the future relationship with the UK in the spring of 2020.

Four by-elections are to be held next month, he added, “so why not move from four to forty?"

Minister of State, Independent Alliance TD Finian McGrath urged "the young Turks" in the Cabinet “to calm down.” He called on the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to sit down and agree a date for an election in Spring 2020.

It would be bonkers to have an election in November. We should keep going until next May.

Mr McGrath said that the timing of a general election in November was not a good idea as the Finance Bill has yet to be examined in fine detail.

If an election was held in November, it could result in a situation where there was no government in place until February, while the threat remained of a crash out Brexit at end of January.

However, Mr Murphy responded that if a general election was not held until next April or May Ireland would be held back as the UK and EU 'go forward'.

“There is an opportunity to get the election out of the way." Brexit, he said, is not fully resolved and "people need to calm down".