Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil go local to work together

Much of the post-election commentary has focused around the idea of some form of Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil government. Although politicians from both sides have stressed the mutual distrust they have for each other, it’s worth noting the old enemies also share power on most county and city councils.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors have come together to form controlling majorities on 11 of the State’s 31 local authorities and the two parties also participate in controlling pacts with other parties or Independents on a further 11 councils.

Political parties usually agree pacts so they can swap plum positions such as mayor or cathaoirleach each year. Frequently the voting agreements also guarantee the approval of local authority budgets.

Following the most recent local elections, in 2014, parties in each council area entered talks on how to divvy up the spoils. In some cases, such as Cork City and Donegal, virtually all parties agreed inclusive arrangements but most deals were struck between two or three parties to form controlling groups.

Holding up

Nearly two years later most of these agreements are holding up. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are the largest parties at local level and councillors from both have voiced some support for a deal at national level.

Fine Gael cathaoirleach on Galway County Council Peter Roche said the controlling pact between the two parties is “working very well” and a deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil at national level “probably would work well”. But he added that it is unlikely to come about because neither party would want to be a junior partner.

In Carlow, Muinebheag electoral area cathoirleach Denis Foley agreed. The Fine Gael councillor said his party made a local deal with Labour and two Independents in 2014 but “we’re very well got with Fianna Fáil as well. There could have been a deal with Fianna Fáil”. He added that it “would be a good government if Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were to do some kind of pact together” but again said the latter would probably be reluctant to be a junior coalition partner.

Kilkenny County County Council cathaoirleach Mary Hilda Cavanagh, of Fine Gael, said national politics was very different to local politics but added “in the interest of the country, I think we need a stable government and you sometimes need to compromise for a stable government”.

Controlling group

Fianna Fáil cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council Eamon Dooley said he wouldn’t have believed someone before the local elections if they said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would form a controlling group but when the votes were counted it was “a no brainer really”. He said the two parties would probably form a stable government.

Former Wexford Fianna Fáil TD and current cathaoirleach of the county council Tony Dempsey said the arrangement between his party and Fine Gael on the council has been working very well. He said the best option nationally could be Fianna Fáil offering its support to a minority Fine Gael government. “I would like to see us doing what is best for the country and what is reflected in the public vote,” he said.

Disagree

But some councillors said they didn’t agree with the idea of the two parties coming together. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown cathaoirleach Barry Saul (FG) said the historical differences between them were too great to bridge in Leinster House. “Local level is very different to national level in terms of engagement,” he added.

Fianna Fáil leas-cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council Mary Bohan said the two parties work well at local level but she didn’t want to see a national agreement.

“On rural issues, they have fallen down badly,” she said of Fine Gael.