Time for a merger of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael?

Sir, – The participation in the Coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael was once unthinkable but both parties put aside their Civil War differences.

They have rotated the positions of Taoiseach and Tánaiste and Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. They have put four budgets through the Dáil and are in the process of presenting their fifth budget. It is difficult now to distinguish between the policies of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. They claim that the Coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, supported by the Greens, is a strong government. They are forthright in their admiration and support of each other. In difficult times of no confidence motions in the Dáil, they strongly defended each other.

During my own time as an elected member of both Carlow Town and County Councils I was honoured to have served as chairman of both bodies, in coalition with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on different occasions.

I witnessed very strong political exchanges between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil throughout those 30 years. Many county councils throughout the country have witnessed a coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael since the 2019 and 2024 local elections.