COALITION TALKS:FIANNA FÁIL has described Fine Gael and Labour suggestions of a stark economic situation facing the incoming government as a "softening up exercise".
The party’s TD for Mayo Dara Calleary said yesterday the parties were engaged in a cynical abandonment of election promises.
“The very solemn, but equally predictable warnings by Fine Gael’s Michael Noonan and Labour’s Joan Burton should be seen for what they are – a softening up exercise in advance of the abandonment of election promises. “This is the very worst type of politics as usual,” he said.
“Time and again throughout the election campaign we pointed out directly to Fine Gael and Labour that the promises they were making were unrealistic, uncosted and simply not feasible,” added Mr Calleary, who is outgoing Minister of State for labour affairs.
He said that Department of Finance officials had fully briefed both parties in the run-up to the budget. He specifically rejected the assertion by Mr Noonan that there were matters of which the Opposition was unaware in the run-up to the elections.
“They also had a series of opportunities to discuss the state of the nation’s finances with the IMF’s top officials. Their claims that they understand only now the scale of the challenge are cynical, disingenuous and disrespectful,” Mr Calleary said.
It came as a number of prominent Labour Party representatives at local level announced they would hold a news conference today making a case for the party to reject going into a coalition with Fine Gael.
The party’s failed candidate in Dublin West, Cllr Pat Nulty; another leading Dublin councillor Cian O’Callaghan, chairman of Labour Youth Colm Lawless, and Jimmy Kelly, the regional secretary of Unite, will say today that Labour as the second largest party should lead the opposition in the 31st Dáil.
Mr O’Callaghan, who represents Howth and Malahide, said: “Fianna Fáil is very demoralised in its current state. It’s not in any position to hold the government to account,” he said.
“Labour should not be propping up Fine Gael. It will also lead to a situation where people will not know what casting a vote will mean. Even though they voted against it, they are putting in a government that will be responsible for cuts in expenditure and services,” he said.
Negotiations between both parties will continue today notwithstanding the absence of Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore. Both are travelling abroad to participate in meetings of European groupings.
Mr Kenny is attending a European People’s Party event in Helsinki, while Mr Gilmore travels to Athens this afternoon for a meeting of the European Socialist grouping.
Under the Labour constitution a draft programme for government must be agreed by a full delegate meeting of the party.