Fianna Fáil could become ‘largest party’, says Micheál Martin

Fianna Fáil

could rebound to become the largest political party in the State after the next general election, party leader Micheál Martin has claimed.

Mr Martin has said for the first time that the widespread view from 2011 that he would be the first Fianna Fáil leader never to be taoiseach no longer applies.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Martin has strongly ruled out Fianna Fáil going into a coalition with Fine Gael on the basis that it is "too right wing" or with Sinn Féin, which he contends has a "militaristic uniform approach to politics with no diversity of opinion".

While claiming Fianna Fáil could have the highest number of TDs in the next Dáil, Mr Martin says if it achieves that status, its advantage over its nearest rivals will be marginal.

“With the volatility, nobody can say. Who would have said we would have been the largest party after the local elections?

“The same principle applies to the general election. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Independent groupings will all be close. If we are honest we do not know which will be largest.”

Doubling the seat tally

Fianna Fáil strategists have set out targets for seat gains that would double the party’s seat tally to about 40, from the 20-seat low the party won in its disastrous 2011 campaign.

Mr Martin, a TD for Cork South Central, has also confirmed Fianna Fáil will not contest the election with a view to serving another term in opposition, but to go into government.

“Going into any general election, we have a programme for government. I don’t think you can go to the electorate and say ‘we don’t want to be in government’. We want to maximise the number of seats to implement the mandate.”

The party has set out to position itself as the only centrist party, with a policy platform that harks back to the Lemass era. That includes initiatives in education and health (with particular emphasis in both areas on the youngest children, from birth to three years), as well as incentives to encourage the development of domestic small businesses and entrepreneurs.