Tánaiste warns of 'huge political uncertainty' if coalition government not formed
Tánaiste Simon Coveney has warned there will be “huge political uncertainty” if Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party do not form a coalition government.
There is so much uncertainty in Ireland at present “on the back of Covid-19” which makes it all the more important that the programme for government is agreed.
A coalition of all three parties can be balanced and strong and can help the country rebuild, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Mr Coveney acknowledged that there were some within Fine Gael who were finding it difficult to consider going into coalition with Fianna Fáil.
“This is a new form of government, some people are uncertain with that.”
The party needed to be defined by the future not the past, he added. Politicians had a responsibility to the electorate to get the economy back working again.
We will learn from the last time and do even better.
The programme for government represented a series of compromises “that’s how coalition works,” he said. It was a progressive programme for government that had a very strong social net.
“I believe this is absolutely worth supporting.” Mr Coveney added that he would welcome the support of Independent TDs for the new coalition government, but it was important that any support be transparent.
He said he believed there were a number of Independent TDs who wanted to be constructive, but he could not rule out anything.
Earlier on Morning Ireland Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasiagh said that support for the programme for government by the Green Party would be a “close call”, but he hoped there would be enough to get it across the line.
