Fianna Fáil ‘open’ to negotiate with several centre ground parties post-election

By David Young, PA

Fianna Fáil would be open to negotiating with a number of centre ground parties post-election, Micheál Martin insisted as he pushed back on suggestions he was eyeing Labour as potential coalition partners.

Canvassing in Co Cavan on Tuesday, the Tánaiste also accused Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats of “insulting” the electorate by not publishing their manifesto prior to the first televised leaders’ debate on Monday.

Both parties unveiled their manifestos on Tuesday morning.

Mr Martin was asked whether his party and Fine Gael was looking to Labour, instead of the Greens, as a potential junior partner in a future coalition.

“I think fundamentally each party has to maximise its own vote,” he told reporters on a visit to a farmers’ mart in Ballyjamesduff.

“Fianna Fáil has to maximise its vote, get as many TDs as we possibly can. Get elected. It’s a very fragmented situation.

“We will work with parties that support the core principles of Fianna Fáil, which is to protect the pro-enterprise economy that we have, and that has worked well for the country in terms of creating resources; invest in public services; be positively pro-European Union; and have basic democratic principles.

“There are a number of parties in the centre ground potentially after this election who we would be open to negotiating with, but I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves if we are into the business of specifying particular parties at this stage.”

Reflecting on the RTÉ debate, Mr Martin said: “I thought what was incredible was that Sinn Féin didn’t produce a manifesto before it, or the Social Democratic party didn’t either.

“I thought that was somewhat insulting to the public.

“I think at that stage, you know, by this stage of a campaign, in advance of a national debate, the first national debate, it really was extraordinary that they tried to get away without having a manifesto published.

“And that needs to be said.”

The positions of the 10 leaders and deputy leaders who took part in the debate were allocated by a random draw.

Mr Martin was placed beside Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris near the centre of the stage.

It was put to Mr Martin on Tuesday that the two men looked at ease in each other’s company and appeared to have a positive relationship.

“I’m intrigued by the observations. I mean, RTÉ drew the lot,” said Mr Martin.

He added: “I’m not so sure what you expected us to be, what people would expect us to be doing, but I think it was normal, mature politics, and that’s the way it should be in terms of a debate.”