Micheál Martin says another election cannot be ruled out

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said he cannot rule out another election but says he and his party will be "responsible" and work hard to prevent that happening. Mr Martin was attending an Easter Rising commemoration at Cork County Hall yesterday. He said he was still working to form a Fianna Fáil-led minority government.

They are the first public comments Mr Martin has made outside the chamber since the 32nd Dáil sat for the first time on March 10th and it is the first time he has spoken publicly about government formation since.

His comments come as negotiations on possible government formation resume today, with Fine Gael continuing its round-table discussions with 15 Independent TDs and the Green Party. Fianna Fáil will meet Independents and the Greens tomorrow.

A number of Independents and smaller parties have repeatedly encouraged Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to talk about how either party could support a minority administration led by the other. Fianna Fáil sources have said they could support Fine Gael from the opposition benches on a case-by-case basis.

Mr Martin said he had met acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny during 1916 Easter Rising commemorations in Dublin over the weekend but they had “only exchanged pleasantries”. He said the focus was on remembering those who had fought and died in 1916.

The Cork South Central TD added: “We are working to form an alternative government – that’s where our focus is on. I am not contemplating anything else at this stage. We are working with Independents and also with other parties to try and form a government.”

He also rejected claims from some Independent TDs that Fine Gael was taking government negotiations more seriously than Fianna Fáil. “It is our view that the people voted for a change of direction in Irish society and we are working with the Independents and other parties to see if we can bring that about, but I don’t think it’s fair in any shape or form to say there hasn’t been substantive engagement by us; there has.”

While another election could not be ruled out, he did not believe that people wanted another election and Fianna Fáil was conscious of that view. “That is always a possibility – I don’t think people want another election and we are getting a very strong view from people on the ground that they don’t want an election, so we will work very hard to avoid that, obviously, and we will be responsible in that regard.”

Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil had presented detailed policy proposals. “We are the only party actually that has sent a substantive policy document, 53 pages, to the Independents last Friday week, and we think policy is still the key here in terms of a range of issues, including most obviously housing and health that cry out for an alternative approach.”

Fine Gael will resume its talks today, when policy documents on housing and rural development will be tabled. Mr Kenny has already said he will appoint a minister for housing and will introduce action plans for housing, with published updates and progress reports. It would be modelled on the action plan for jobs scheme implemented by the last government.