Want to prevent election? Then Fitzgerald must step down, says Micheál Martin
FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin has insisted he does not want to cause a general election – but said Frances Fitzgerald’s departure was ‘the only way’ to avoid this.
As the fallout from the latest whistleblower row deepened yesterday, Mr Martin said: ‘The Tánaiste should step aside, in our view, and that would avoid a general election.
‘This (latest Garda whistleblower scandal) was the final straw for many within the party. From my point of view, I must have, as leader of the party, confidence in what I am being told. This can be avoided if the Government takes action.’
Under the Confidence and Supply Agreement, where there is an issue that involves a threat to the deal, there is a clause that provides for direct liaison between the two leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Mr Martin said.
He said he had rung the Taoiseach on Wednesday night and formally invoked the clause, telling Leo Varadkar that his party had lost confidence in Frances Fitzgerald.
Speaking about the situation, he said: ‘It’s not we [Fianna Fáil] who have triggered it. We went to the Taoiseach quietly to say to him, fairly straightforwardly, what the position is, what our problems were in relation to this.
‘He didn’t act on that. He had a chance to show leadership, in my view, but he didn’t even engage.’
He added: ‘If you don’t resolve an issue that potentially threatens a Government the consequences are clear. If the Dáil is dissolved, there’s
‘Taoiseach didn’t even engage’
an immediate general election to be held before Christmas.’
Mr Martin said his party had held a frontbench meeting yesterday and that Fianna Fáil’s motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste was tabled and lodged. He said he was ready for further talks, adding: ‘I made it clear to An Taoiseach I have no difficulty meeting him.’
Mr Martin also said he stands by what he told his party’s presidential dinner a week ago – that Fianna Fáil will not do business with Sinn Féin after any snap poll.
‘What we say before the election, we stick by in the aftermath of the election,’ he declared.
His sentiments on the crisis surrounding the Tánaiste were echoed by Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokesperson Stephen Donnelly, who said Ms Fitzgerald should do the decent thing and resign to save the country from an unnecessary general election.
Referring to an email sent to Ms Fitzgerald that referenced possible Garda attempts to undermine whistleblower Maurice McCabe’s testimony to the O’Higgins Commission, Mr Donnelly told Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live show: ‘In the UK... the relevant minister would have resigned within the day of this email coming out, in the US they would have resigned within 15 minutes.
‘The reason we are now in the quite ridiculous situation of talking about a general election is because the minister involved and the Taoiseach involved are not saying look, actually, this is damning and you need to step back and we need to get on with running the country.’
Mr Donnelly said that if Ms Fitzgerald were to resign, Fianna Fáil would not pursue the issue and seek the resignations of any of the other Government ministers caught up in the whistleblower scandal fallout.
Asked by host Ciara Kelly if his party would seek Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan’s head next, he said: ‘It’s not about getting anybody’s head, it’s about saying, “We do not have confidence in Frances Fitzgerald”, without prejudice to the person.
‘I’ve worked closely with Frances Fitzgerald on a number of issues, I worked closely with her on some of the Brexit issues, it’s not about getting a head.
‘It’s about a simple, democratic position that says we, as members of the Dáil, do not have confidence in this minister – here’s why.’
Earlier Fianna Fáil’s jobs spokesperson Dara Calleary told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland his party did not want an election and that there was ‘a long way to go’ before Tuesday’s proposed vote on this issue.
He said: ‘We don’t feel there is a need for a general election on this issue. What we don’t have is confidence in the Tánaiste’s ability.’
He denied Fianna Fáil was breaching the Confidence and Supply Agreement, saying: ‘The confidence part has been eroded.
‘There comes a time when supply depends on confidence.’