The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, has said that the current coalition Government is clearly not functioning in the light of this week's row between the Taoiseach and Tanaiste in the Sheedy affair.
"The country doesn't need this Government anymore," Mr Bruton said yesterday in Galway. The Fine Gael leader was speaking at the launch of his party's local election campaign.
A coalition depended on good teamwork to produce good results, he said. "If the captain and the vice-captain don't have the ability to talk to each other for seven days and neither has the confidence or the courage to lift the phone, there is clearly something wrong," Mr Bruton said, referring to the rift earlier this week between the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Tanaiste, Ms Harney.
In addition, if a Cabinet meeting had to be postponed for several hours, there was a clear deterioration in relations. On the previous three-party administration, he said problems had been overcome with good teamwork.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/13e684a8-3abb-448a-9ed3-dca27c980495.png)