FINE GAEL may be open to a coalition arrangement with Fianna Fáil after the general election, a Labour Party frontbencher has claimed.
However, the main Opposition party refused to comment on a statement by Labour’s local government spokesman Ciarán Lynch TD arising out of proceedings in the Dáil yesterday morning.
When the Labour Party decided last Friday to table a motion of no confidence in the Government, Fine Gael said it was “ill-advised and badly timed”.
Government Chief Whip John Curran ruled out making Government time to debate the motion and this decision was challenged by Labour leader Eamon Gilmore in the Dáil yesterday.
“When Labour challenged the Order of Business this morning on this important matter of principle, rather than backing Labour, Fine Gael decided to abstain.
“To make matters worse, when a number of Fine Gael TDs voted ‘by mistake’ with Labour in the electronic vote, Fine Gael went to the Government Chief Whip, John Curran, who agreed to call a ‘walk-through’ vote. The effect of this unprecedented level of co-operation between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael was to nullify the electronic vote and have it disappear from the official record.
“Many people will be concerned that their position on the Labour Party motion of no confidence and the co-operation between the two parties in the Dáil this morning suggests that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael may be open to a sweetheart deal after the election if the numbers allow for this.
“The Labour Party has made it absolutely clear that after the election, we will not go into government with or accept support from Fianna Fáil. We have yet to hear any such an unequivocal commitment from Fine Gael.”
