FG wants to extend confidence and supply deal, says Coveney

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has re-iterated Fine Gael's desire to extend the confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáil beyond October's budget but stressed that no one in Fine Gael is taking Fianna Fáil for granted on the issue.

“I have said and the Taoiseach has said as well that we would like see this Government continue on - we are getting a lot of things done but there are still a significant number of challenges for the Government to respond to and overcome, particularly healthcare and housing and homelessness,” he said.

“Obviously, Brexit is an ongoing challenge and so many other things, but there are also so many positive things happening. There’s momentum in the Irish economy, the likes of which we haven’t seen for many years and I think the Government would like to continue to build on what’s working.”

Speaking in Cork, Mr Coveney acknowledged that Fine Gael needs to talk to Fianna Fáil about extending the confidence and supply agreement, which is due to expire after the budget in October. Mr Coveney said he would assume nothing with regard to how Fianna Fáil will approach such talks.

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“We need to talk Fianna Fáil about that. We certainly won’t be taking them for granted but I hope you will see a conversation taking place between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael well in advance of the confidence and supply agreement running out after the budget.”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told The Irish Times at the weekend that he was bemused to read reports of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's intentions to approach Fianna Fáil during the summer with a view to starting a review.

Mr Martin said the terms of the agreement were clear and it specifically referred to a review taking place at the end of 2018, and he ruled out "any premature examination" of the existing agreement while it still has time to run.

Housing and health

“The confidence and supply agreement was for three budgets. When the third budget has been delivered in October, there is provision for a review to start, but only then. We will not be moving from that position,” he said.

Some Fianna Fáil TDs have gone further with Co Clare's Timmy Dooley telling the Irish Examiner that unless the Government begins a meaningful process to address the housing and health crises, he could not see Fianna Fáil continuing with the agreement.

Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary said confidence and supply was "not a blank cheque and Fine Gael need to realise that". He said there should be no surprise that Fianna Fáil wanted meaningful progress on addressing housing and the health service.

"We have honoured confidence and supply from our side, but what we are making clear is that we need to see delivery. No one wants to walk this off a cliff, but it is not a free pass either. It is time to show delivery," Mr Calleary told the Irish Examiner.

Mr Coveney acknowledged Mr Martin’s comments and said he was fully entitled to his view as were Fianna Fáil TDs and the relationship between the two parties was clearly critical to the continuation of the Fine Gael-led minority Government.

“We rely on the support of Fianna Fáil in certain areas to allow the Government to continue so that relationship is a very important one and any new discussions on whether the confidence and supply agreement gets extended will have to happen between Micheál Martin and the Taoiseach,” he said.

“They are the two key personalities involved and I can assure you that nobody in Fine Gael will be taking Fianna Fáil for granted on these issues. Anything that is going to be proposed will have to be agreed between the two parties and will be discussed in a very respectful way between them.”