Harris: No chance of Fine Gael/Sinn Féin coalition after election

James Cox

No matter the results of the next general election, Fine Gael will not go into government with Sinn Féin, according to a Minister.

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said the party's position is clear, and a coalition of this kind would be incoherent from a policy point of view.

Fine Gael previously said they would not enter a coalition with Fianna Fáil, but that is now the current government.

Minister Harris said the situation with Sinn Féin is entirely different.

He told Newstalk: "The party position is extraordinarily clear and I've yet to meet anybody in Fine Gael, any minister, TD, senator, councillor or party member, who wished to go into government with Sinn Féin.

"And you know what? That's OK. The position in relation to Fine Gael on Sinn Féin is really clear. I'm sure there is many people in Sinn Féin by the way who don't want to go into government with Fine Gael, this is a healthy thing in a democracy."

Earlier this week, Mr Harris criticised Sinn Féin after its TD Chris Andrews took a defamation suit against The Irish Times and political correspondent Harry McGee.

In a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "Where is the line Mary Lou? Come clean on how many journalists & outlets have received legal letters from you & your party reps. We must & will change defamation laws but no law change needed for basic decency in politics #dontsueme."

Where is the line Mary Lou? Come clean on how many journalists & outlets have received legal letters from you & your party reps. We must & will change defamation laws but no law change needed for basic decency in politics #dontsueme https://t.co/aKFynwyKZ8

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) November 11, 2023

Mr Harris' comments on any potential Sinn Féin coalition echo those of other senior Fine Gael members, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who has repeatedly dismissed the suggestion.

Fianna Fáil's stance is less clear. While Tánaiste Micheál Martin has spoken of the incompatibility of his party and Sinn Féin, other TDs are understood to be receptive to the idea of a future coalition.

Sinn Féin will "talk to everybody" if they get the mandate to form a government in the next election, a TD said at the party's ard feis in Athlone, Co Westmeath.

Dublin Fingal TD Louise O'Reilly said they will make sure to negotiate a "very ambitious plan" for government.

Ms O'Reilly says the party is preparing to be in power. "We will talk to everybody, because that's what grown-ups do.

"We will take our mandate and talk to any parties. What we're interesting in doing is putting forward a platform, and putting forward a set of policies that will make a real and lasting difference."