The Labour Party should make it clear to the electorate before the general election that it would not go into government with Fianna Fail because of the sleaze surrounding that party, a member of Labour's national executive has said.
Cllr John Mulvihill, chairman of Cork County Council, told The Irish Times it would be "very helpful to the Labour Party and the general public if the air was cleared" before the next election.
"I think that under the present circumstances, Labour would find it very difficult to go into coalition with Fianna Fail, with all the sleaze. . . which is going around. I would personally have a problem with it," he said. But he added that a party could "never say never".
Party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn said in a speech at the weekend that he was reluctant to rule things in or out absolutely. He said Labour would make up its own mind on electoral strategy and would not be "bounced by anyone into a political straitjacket".
Addressing the Tom Johnson Summer School in Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford, Mr Quinn said his party would contest the next election as an independent party. "There will be no pre-electoral pacts. That has been the position since I became party leader and it remains the position."
"Let me be clear. I am opposed to government for government's sake. But I am also opposed to opposition for opposition's sake. Whatever recommendation I may make to a party conference in the aftermath of an election will be determined by what I believe will best serve the interests of the Irish people, and in particular, those who have voted for the Labour Party."
However, he said that nothing could damage our "fragile prosperity" more than a government "in hock to twice as many Independents as the current administration".