Fianna Fáil makes Fine Gael wait for government talks

Fine Gael has insisted acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny is willing and ready to meet Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to initate negotiations on the formation of a government on Friday.

Mr Martin has confirmed he spoke to the acting Taoiseach on Thursday and told him they would engage in further discussions next week.

However, Mr Kenny has since attempted to contact Mr Martin to seek a meeting tomorrow. The Fine Gael leader is said to have called him a number of times before offering to meet via a text message.

It is understood Mr Martin later contacted Mr Kenny to confirm he is willing to begin negotiations on Wednesday.

Fine Gael sources said Mr Kenny will have the bones of a programme for government by tomorrow and is eager to intitate discussions with Fianna Fáil.

Mr Martin earlier relayed his frustration to Mr Kenny about comments made by Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton. Mr Bruton told RTÉ radio Fine Gael would not support a Fianna Fáil-minority government .

Mr Martin said the remarks were “wrong” and the language was “ill-tempered” and unacceptable. He said his party was working towards securing support for a Fianna Fáil minority government.

Asked if he would be willing to support a Fine Gael minority Government, Mr Martin said he would not rule anything out.

He said there were key policy differences between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael including the abolition of Irish Water. Suspending the charges for five years and scrapping the utility is a red line issue for his party in any discussions, Mr Martin said.

Independents

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil said it would meet Independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly on Thursday to try to garner support for a minority government.

Meath East Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne earlier said Independents and the smaller parties should join with Fianna Fáil to form a new style of government to bring about change.

There is a need for a “whole new type of government” he said, and Fianna Fáil is trying to lead that alternative he told the Today programme on RTÉ radio.

Mr Byrne said whoever ended up with the most Independents and smaller parties supporting them in the vote for taoiseach would be in the driving seat to form a government.

“We are in talks with the Independents. They were elected to try to become part of government and they’re trying to do that,” he said.

“There will have to be a whole new way of doing things.”

On the same programme, Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath agreed that there was a need "for a Government of a different hue".

“Dáil reform is badly needed or else changes won’t get past the first budget,” he warned.

“There will have to be a total partnership between Enda Kenny and Micheál Martin. Whoever gets the most votes, the other will have to support.”

‘Appalling’

Waterford Independent TD John Halligan said it was appalling and unacceptable that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil were not talking to each other.

“We’re making an effort. It’s very complex. There are 17 Independents sitting down all with different views. Not alone will Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have to come together, but all the Independents will have to come together too,” he said.

“It’s going to be extraordinarily difficult.”

Mr Halligan said there is a degree of frustration among Independents.

"I'm going to keep coming to talks until the process is exhausted. I think we should go through the process and see what happens. That's what the people of Ireland want," he said.

“They voted to elect all the various groups, that’s what they want. We can’t go back to people and say we don’t like the way you voted. Would you mind voting again?”

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan also said there the need for "an alternative arrangement." He said a stable government was needed with sense of "direction and ambition".

“We said at the start that if this is to work then it has to be a rainbow coalition with a really broad range of parties involved,” he said.

He asked why the Labour Party was not involved in talks.

“I know they lost seats, that happened to us too. I know what it’s like. Dust yourself down and get back. I still think it is better to try.”