Politics

Fianna Fáil votes against forming coalition with Sinn Féin

Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin
Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin

FIANNA Fáil delegates at the party's Ard Fheis in Dublin have voted against forming any coalition government with Sinn Féin.

The party's leader Michéal Martin also again ruled out sharing power with either Sinn Féin or Fine Gael.

It came ahead of tomorrow's budget in the south, which Fianna Fáil facilitated as part of its confidence-and-supply agreement with the Fine Gael-led government.

The party has agreed to facilitate one more budget, but like other parties is making preparations for the next election.

Addressing delegates on Saturday evening, Mr Martin accused Fine Gael of being addicted to spin.

"The taoiseach has actually appointed a marketing expert to his department," he said.

"He has appointed no expert to advise on health, or housing, or Brexit or any other of the most urgent problems - but he has an entire team to shoot videos to sell his image."

He added: "We have a government which is over-spinning and under-delivering in nearly everything.

"Obsessed with its own image, it is failing to address crisis after crisis caused by its own decisions."

Mr Martin added that his party "can prevail over the threat of Brexit" and said it would plan for the threat of a hard Brexit.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said he was "bemused" by the Fianna Fáil motion ruling out a coalition.

“It is of no surprise that Fianna Fáil leader doesn’t want Sinn Féin in government. For nearly 100 years, both they and Fine Gael have run the state in their interests, the interests of elites, and not the interests of citizens," he said.