Martin says message on policies 'was clear'

FIANNA FÁIL leader Micheál Martin insisted yesterday he has been “absolutely clear” on the question of whether the party would be prepared to support a minority Fine Gael government.

Speaking during a canvass at Blackrock pier in his Cork South Central constituency, Mr Martin denied that there was any confusion over comments he made saying that Fianna Fáil would support similar policies if implemented by other parties.

The comment was interpreted by some as signalling Mr Martin and Fianna Fáil would, from the Opposition benches, offer support to a minority Fine Gael government adopting similar policies but Mr Martin insisted that there was no confusion.

“My message is absolutely clear – people can put all sorts of spins and hypotheses on it and extrapolate all they want. What I’m saying is that it’s policy and the programme of each party that matters and the implementation of that programme,” he said.

Mr Martin also said yesterday that the election of a large number of Sinn Féin and independent TDs to the next Dáil could affect the country’s ability to pursue the correct fiscal policies and solve the economic crisis.

“I think, looking at Sinn Féin and their policies and having a whole range of independents being elected, that could put pressure on the capacity of the country to get out of the situation that it’s in,” he said.