Talks between FG and FF could end in two days, Coveney says

Fianna Fáil has said there are a number of issues to be overcome before talks between it and Fine Gael on support for a minority government can come to a close.

These include housing and childcare as well as nailing down an agreement on Irish Water, which will be the main focus of talks on Friday.

Fine Gael minister Simon Coveney said he expected negotiations could be concluded over the next two days.

A broad outline of a deal on Irish Water has been reached between the two sides. It will see the company change from being a commercial semi-State firm to a State agency.

Fine Gael wanted a national utility to remain in place, while Fianna Fáil wanted Irish Water abolished. The outline of the deal also contains significant changes to the charging system.

Water charges will be suspended pending the establishment of a new charging system, which will be based on consumption but with generous allowances.

Fianna Fáil’s election position was that it wanted water charges suspended for five years while Fine Gael maintains that paying for water in some form is fundamental to it as aparty.

Following reports of the agreement in The Irish Times on Thursday, members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party reiterated that Irish Water must be abolished and water charges suspended.

Deeply unhappy

A parliamentary party meeting heard the party’s election manifesto, which pledged to scrap Irish Water, must be their bible and they were deeply unhappy with the compromise offered.

Waterford TD Mary Butler and Galway East Anne Rabbitte told the meeting they had fought the election on the basis Irish Water would be scrapped and insisted the party could not shift from the position.

Leader Micheal Martin said the party was satisfied to support Fine Gael from the opposition benches in the national interest.

Members also raised questions about potential motions of confidence in government and Mr Martin told them they had no duty to support Ministers in those cases.

The party TDs also raised concern about mortgages, housing, health and mental health.

Following the latest round of talks on Thursday evening, Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen said there were a number of issues still to be discussed by the two sides including housing and childcare. He said there was no agreement on Irish Water and said expert advice may be required before drawing to a conclusion.

The two parties insisted the future of the utility was not discussed at the meeting earlier.

Fine Gael’s commitment

Speaking on Thursday morning Limerick Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea said he cannot understand Fine Gael’s commitment to Irish Water.

“It’s difficult to understand why Fine Gael are committed to a course of action that has been rejected by 70 per cent of the population.

“To hang your hat on something like that is extremely foolish” he told Live 95 Limerick radio.

Meanwhile, Longford-Westmeath TD Willie Penrose, who is chairman of the Labour Party, said there should be a Constitutional referendum on Irish Water to ensure that the utility is never privatised.

He told Newstalk that while the Labour Party would like to be in Government “to help improve things”, the people had spoken and had given a mandate to other parties to form a government.

“It is incumbent on those with a mandate to now form a Government.”

On the issue of Irish Water he said there was a need for a national utility and he felt a “significant amount of success” had been achieved by Irish Water.

“I think changes can be made. I’d like to see a Constitutional referendum to ensure Irish Water is never privatised and a facility where they would take cognizance of people’s ability to pay.”