Northern Ireland

Dáil meets amid continued uncertainty over make-up of next government

Fianna Fail Leader Michael Martin. Picture: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Fianna Fail Leader Michael Martin. Picture: Julien Behal/PA Wire Fianna Fail Leader Michael Martin. Picture: Julien Behal/PA Wire

THE Dáil will meet today for the first time since Sinn Féin's surge in the polls saw the party establish itself as a third force in southern politics.

TDs are expected to elect the ceann comhairle – or speaker – whose first job will be to seek nominations for the position of taoiseach.

However, with power finely balanced three ways and Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil so far refusing to go into coalition with Sinn Féin, there is little possibility of a successor to Leo Varadkar emerging today.

As the 160 TDs elected 12 days ago prepared to re-enter Leinster House, a poll showed 42 per cent of voters wanted Mary Lou McDonald to lead the next government.

The Amárach Research/Extra.ie survey of just over 1,000 people also found that 35 per of respondents said they would vote for Sinn Féin if there was another election – almost twice the percentage who would support nearest rival Fine Gael.

Sinn Féin yesterday continued its engagement with smaller parties and independent TDs, including Kerry representatives Michael and Danny Healy-Rae.

Following their meeting at Leinster House, in which they discussed Common Agricultural Policy funding, housing and health, Michael Healy-Rae said he wanted information about the cost of Sinn Féin’s proposals.

"A lot of Sinn Fein's policies sound fine but who pays for it and where does the money come from? These are important questions,” Mr Healy-Rae said.

"We discussed a lot today but we wanted to get down to the nitty-gritty around how these things will be paid for, how it will be financed and where will the money come from.”

Solidarity-People Before Profit, which secured five seats in the February election, said it believes a left-led minority government is still a possible.

Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said: "Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar has said he wants to lead the opposition. We are saying to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and we think other parties like Sinn Féin and the Greens should tell them if you are serious about that, then get out of our way and let an alternative government be formed on a minority basis."

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said: "We sent the same message to Sinn Fein that we intend to send to the Social Democrats. We intend to pursue a left government to give effect to the demands for change that were clearly made by the electorate and to radically drive through the changes we need on health and the climate.”

Ahead of a schedule meeting of its parliamentary party last night, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin reiterated his opposition to going into coalition with Sinn Féin.

He tweeted: "Our party met last Thursday and had a full discussion about what should happen next. We agreed that for many reasons, coalition with Sinn Féin would not be the right thing to do. I have since written to the SF Leader, Deputy Mary Lou McDonald to explain that decision."