Social Democrats unlikely to enter into government coalition, says Cork TD

The Social Democrats are at this stage very unlikely to enter a coalition government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, a Cork based TD for the party has said.

Although the party has not formally fully removed itself from parliamentary party discussions, after a meeting on government formation on Tuesday afternoon, the Social Democrats hold significantly differing positions on key policy issues with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Among the issues the Social Democrats wanted to agree on are more affordable housing, the full implementation of Sláintecare, a Senior Disability Minister, significant climate change action and publicly funded childcare.

Speaking to The Echo, Pádraig Rice, Social Democrats TD in Cork South-Central, said a government with Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael and Independent TDs is the most likely scenario.

“Before the election we set out very clearly our five deal-breakers and the key things for us. So we were really clear and we set out those. They remain our dealbreakers.

“Our position is that there has been some negotiations with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. There is a distance between our position on these issues and theirs. We remain open to more engagement, but it seems the direction of travel is a government with Independents and that is where things stand at the moment."

Deputy Rice added: “We remain open to engagement, but it needs to be on those five deal-breakers. We set out quite an ambitious agenda and I think there is a gulf on these issues.

“We are open to more meaningful engagement on those, but more than likely it is heading towards a government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independents."