Opinion

New Dublin government will face tough decisions

Much has changed in the four months since voters went to the polls in the Republic, when the surge of support for Sinn Féin indicated a desire for change amid dissatisfaction with the way issues such as housing and health were being handled.

Those problems have not disappeared. If anything, the coronavirus pandemic and the inevitable impact on the economy will make them even more acute.

In the immediate aftermath of the election, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was preparing for opposition. Instead, he has led the state through this unprecedented emergency and is now on the verge of going back into government, with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.

Over the past months, the parties have been engaged in protracted discussions, this week producing a programme for government which has been endorsed by their respective parliamentary representatives.

It is now over to the members of each party to vote on the plan with the Greens facing a particularly high bar, requiring the backing of two thirds.

If those hurdles can be cleared then by the end of this month Micheál Martin, who has led Fianna Fáil since 2011, will finally assume the role of taoiseach, at least until December 2022 when it is due to pass to Mr Varadkar in what can only be described as an unusual rotation arrangement.

All this depends on the coalition staying in power for a full term but the road ahead will be fraught.

Sinn Féin, re-energised and already looking to the next election, will seek to expose weakness and maximise every opportunity.

Tough decisions lie ahead for the new government as it tries to recover from the pandemic but there will be an expectation that the difficult issues raised during the election will also be addressed.

Of course, Brexit is still very much on the political agenda and the coalition will be mindful of the dangers posed by a failure to reach a trade deal between the UK and European Union by the December 31 deadline.

Boris Johnson has ruled out an extension, despite the changed circumstances created by Covid-19 and the enormous economic pressures that will affect all countries for years to come.

If nothing else, the new Dublin government will need to have a coherent strategy to deal with Mr Johnson's chaotic approach to Brexit.