Micheál Martin: Election set for 2020, unless Taoiseach tries to 'pull a stroke'
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has ruled out a General Election this year unless the Taoiseach decides to “pull a stroke” for his own political gain.
Speaking at the annual Fianna Fáil presidential dinner, Mr Martin said keeping the current Government in power has been “tough” for many of his members because they are “straining to take our message of change to the doorsteps”.
“They want to replace a government which is out of touch and systematically incapable of understanding or tackling our country’s biggest challenges,” he told the event.
“And they are absolutely right in this.”
Citing November General Election rumours, Mr Martin said: “There will be an election next year unless the Taoiseach decides to try to pull a stroke of some sort because he thinks it will benefit him. It’s already obvious that he is constantly looking for party political angles on everything.“
Mr Martin went on to say that his party have been true to their word about delivering constructive politics since 2016, adding: “We have put the national interest first at a critical moment.”
This has been no time for politics as usual and we have responded appropriately.
Hitting out at Sinn Féin, Mr Martin said: “If we want to see the scale of the damage which a party can cause when wrapping itself in the flag but actually putting its own interests first all you have to do is look at how Sinn Féin has left Northern Ireland without a voice at the very moment when its future is being decided.”
Mr Martin also slammed Fine Gael’s record on health and said funding is not the only issue in health instead the core of the issue is “political disinterest and detachment”.
