Opinion in the Labour Party is hardening against going into coalition without the Social Democrats ahead of key talks on government formation.
A series of internal meetings, as well as talks between parties, will take place this week as political outfits take stock after the election and assess their next steps.
The intentions of the Labour Party and their centre-left stablemates are seen as a key factor in government formation.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said she will speak to the Social Democrats and the Green Party before meeting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, who almost have the combined numbers to form a majority coalition without outside help.
Speaking privately on Tuesday, one Labour Party TD expressed particular reservations about going into government without the Social Democrats.
This TD said that while they had concerns about the policy direction of a Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil government propped up by Independents, it “would be suicide for us to go in without the SocDems”, adding that Labour had “worked too long and too hard to get to this point where we are a viable political force again to go in and have that wiped out in a couple of years”.
Former Labour leader and one-time cabinet minister Alan Kelly is among those who have publicly stated the party should be open to government, telling Tipp FM that it was important after being elected that “you don’t just sit on the fence”, saying the opportunity of going into government should not be dismissed out of hand.
Ged Nash, the party’s finance spokesman and a super junior minister in the 2011-2016 coalition with Fine Gael, said during the election count that the party wants to be in government and that he wanted a full cabinet portfolio.
A second Labour TD, who did not want to be identified, raised concerns about whether issues vital for the party – including the creation of a State-owned construction company – would likely be seen as non-starters by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Describing the State construction company as a “pillar” of Labour’s manifesto, this TD said: “I can’t see FF or FG acceding to something like that.”
They added: “We’re a party that likes to go into government to make a difference and I don’t think that difference would be facilitated at this point in time,” arguing the price set by centre-left parties was one that the larger groups “wouldn’t be willing to pay”.
Labour’s newly enlarged parliamentary party meets for the first time on Thursday.
A third Labour Party TD said they would “not be going near government”, explaining: “The numbers are not there for us, there’s enough for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and gene pool Independents and we need to continue to build.”
[ Analysis: How do you herd the Independents into a government formation deal?Opens in new window ]
Some TDs said that having spoken with members, they believed there would be little support among the grassroots for going into government, while other deputies were reserving judgment, even speaking privately, preferring to await the outcome of talks this week.
A fourth TD said that the party should be ready for a serious negotiation on policy delivery and had an obligation to go as far as possible – but only in “lockstep” with the Social Democrats.
Former Labour Party leader and tánaiste Joan Burton said that the benefits and costs of going into government had to be weighed up, and that there would be some in Labour who felt that in opposition it “could be a much stronger force and build on what has happened in this election to widen its base”.
On the other hand, she said, some would “like to see the party go into government with a clear set of objectives that the party has wanted to achieve”.
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