Social Democrats will not join FF or FG minority government

The Social Democrats have said they would not serve in a minority government led by either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

The party’s three TDs met Fianna Fáil on Tuesday but, in a statement afterwards, said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael should co-operate to form a majority or minority government.

The Social Democrats were also due to meet Fine Gael but that meeting has been cancelled.

Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy, who co-leads the party with deputies Stephen Donnelly and Róisín Shortall, said “the current exercise of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael talking to smaller parties and Independents is only postponing the inevitable”.

“It is clear there is no possibility of either a majority or a minority government without some agreement between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and we would actively encourage the two parties to accept that reality,” she added.

“Any discussions regarding policies are meaningless until Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have made a decision about whether or not they can work together in some form of arrangement.”

Explaining the decision, Mr Donnelly said there is a “big political gap” between his party and Fine Gael.

Not sufficient numbers

He also said that Fianna Fáil, with 43 seats, did not have sufficient numbers – “43 plus three is not serious, it is not a sustainable government.”

A Fianna Fáil spokesman described the decision by the Social Democrats as “disappointing”, particularly after Tuesday’s meeting, which was described as “positive”.

Fianna Fáil also met the Green Party on Tuesday as part of their moves to secure support for Micheál Martin’s candidacy for taoiseach.

The party’s negotiating team of Michael McGrath, Barry Cowen, Jim O’Callaghan and Charlie McConalogue will meet the Independent Alliance group of deputies on Wednesday.

Afterwards, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said it was still unclear as to how a stable government could be formed.

“It is still all up in the air,” Mr Ryan said, adding it was not his sense from talking to Fianna Fáil that it wanted to go into coalition with Fine Gael.

The Dublin Bay South TD said he had a general discussion with Fianna Fáil on policy in areas such as the economy.