Coalition to campaign separately for election 2016

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton have confirmed there will be no Mullingar Accord-type agreement in advance of the general election.

The two party leaders said Fine Gael and Labour would contest the next elections as separate parties with separate manifestos, while arguing that their five-year Coalition has brought stability and recovery to the State. Both also emphasised that they would be campaigning for the Coalition to be returned for a second term.

The Taoiseach also insisted the general election will take place in 2016, and not towards the end of this year as has been speculated in some quarters.

Mr Kenny said a pre-election voting pact was an issue that would be discussed between the parties later this year.

They were speaking at a joint press conference after the last Cabinet meeting before the Summer break, which was held in Lissadell, Co Sligo on Wednesday.

There was large Garda security presence around the estate which is owned by barristers Eddie Walsh and Constance Cassidy, although no protest materialised save for one individual protesting against water charges.

Memorandum

The meeting discussed a memorandum brought by Minister for Finance

Michael Noonan

giving an update on the fiscal and economic situation. It also gave the green light for legislation that will allow adopted children trace their parentage and seek their birth certificates. It was brought by Minister for Children

James Reilly

, who also brought a new report on childcare.

Mr Kenny said that following the budgetary discussion the Cabinet had agreed no change to its budgetary approach announced in the Spring Economic Statement.

Expenditure adjustment

“The Cabinet has agreed to maintain an adjustment of expenditure of between €1.2 billion and €1.5 billion divided between the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure on a 50:50 basis,” said Mr Kenny.

In relation to the childcare policy report, Ms Burton acknowledged there was no Government agreement in relation to the amount of resources that might be allotted.

She said there was a clear option in the report to provide for wider access to childcare on a subsidies basis and said she was very confident that a childcare package would bring “considerable improvements” to lone parents who have had already benefitted because they had transferred to family income supplements.

Ms Burton’s policy of taking some parents off lone parents’ allowance has faced criticism from some Labour Party TDs on the basis that matching childcare supports for those parents – promised at the time – have never materialised.

On the question of the timing of the election, the Taoiseach said: “My intention is to have the election in 2016. Everybody else is focused on an immediate election. I am not. We have a revised programme for government which will secure recovery and stability.”

He continued: “The election when it happens will offer a choice to the people to reflect very carefully on the stability that has been brought.

“Despite the cynics who say the old marriage is not working, we are getting on very well despite the odd tension,” he said.