Labour should not wait until a new government has been formed before addressing its own leadership issue, according to former Labour TD, Ciaran Lynch.

The former Cork South Central, who lost his seat in the general election, said that he welcomed Tánaiste Joan Burton's statement on Tuesday evening when she ruled out Labour entering any minority coalition arrangement with Fine Gael. He believed it was not what Labour Party members wanted.

“It has been my view since the general election that the proper place for the Labour Party is on the opposition benches from where we can promote progressive policies and where we can find other representatives in the Dáil to join us in that goal.

“The proposition over recent days that Labour would enter some minority government over recent days was something that had our members across the board scratching their heads - the feedback I was getting was that there was very strong resistance to this.”

Party constitution
Mr Lynch said the recognition and realisation that Labour would not be entering any minority coalition deal would now allow the party to address the leadership issue in line with the terms of the party's constitution.

Under the terms of Labour's constitution, the leader of the party has to submit to re-election if the party does not enter government after a general election. This means that Ms Burton, having ruled out going into government, must address the leadership issue before August.

“Given that the Tánaiste has now made it known that she is not in favour of being party to forming a government, the constitutional requirements will now have to kick in and a leadership issue will have to be dealt with.

“However it has been my view since the election that the leadership issue is something the Labour Party should be dealing with right now and we should not be waiting or reliant on the actions on other political parties forming a government before addressing the issue.

“The issue of the leadership of the Labour Party is a matter for its members and that is something that should now be decoupled and removed from the formation of a government that other parties are engaging in and we should take this issue in hand ourselves.”

Vote for Taoiseach
Asked if he believed Labour should vote for or abstain in any vote for Enda Kenny to become Taoiseach following the completion of talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Mr Lynch said he believed Labour should make its decision based on whatever programme for government emerges.

“The issue of what Labour does in the vote for Taoiseach is a matter for the Labour parliamentary party, but my own view is that the country needs a government in place and the Labour Party should look at every vote on its individual merits.”

He said the key issue is not the appointment of a Taoiseach but the formation of a government which will be made possible by the agreed programme of government.

“Whether they vote for Enda Kenny or abstain will be determined on balance by what the programme for government contains. It’s the programme for government that Fine Gael will present after its talks with Fianna Fáil conclude that should determine what we do,” Mr Lynch said.

He said that over the course of the new Dáil there will be issues where Labour will support the government and issues where it will oppose, and it should make clear its opposition on those issues to affect change and amend the government proposals.