VOTERS REJECT A GREENS COALITION WITH FG AND FF...
less than 1 in 4 do not want sinn Fein in power
LESS than one in four voters want Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to form a coalition with the Greens, a poll has revealed.
As Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar meet for talks on forming a new government, it has emerged 72% of those under 35 want Sinn Fein to be directly involved in a new administration.
The survey by ireach found a Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Green Party government was the preferred option of just 23%.
The same number of voters believe no stable government can be formed and there will need to be another general election.
Just 6% of respondents would like Sinn Fein and Fine Gael to form any coalition together and only 5% believe this is likely to happen.
The poll found Fine Gael is the least popular of the big three parties with voters under the age of 35, with less than one third – 31% – of respondents wanting Fine Gael to be involved in a new government coalition.
The party was slightly more popular with those over 35.
The leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are expected to hold face-to-face talks today on the possibility of forming a government.
Sinn Fein is planning a number of rallies, with the first taking place in Cork last night and others set to happen in Dublin, Cavan,
Galway and Newry. Mr Varadkar described them as “an unwelcome development”.
He added: “What happens in a democracy is that people vote, the votes are counted and then parties try to form a government.
“What is happening here it seems is that Sinn Fein, having won less than a quarter of the vote, are behaving as though as they have won a majority.
“My party regularly won more than a quarter of the vote and didn’t get into government so I think these rallies are designed to be the next phase in Sinn Fein’s campaign of intimidation and bullying.
“It just shows once again that this is a party that has a casual relationship with our democracy.”
But Sinn Fein’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty described the comments as “hysterics”.
He said the rallies are just public meetings and involve elected representatives going out to meet people who voted for them.
Mr Doherty, pictured below, added: “The hysterics from Leo and Micheal are just that – nothing but hysterics.
“The election was about change – we now need to deliver a government for change that will bring forward the solutions that are needed on housing, health, climate, guaranteeing the pension age at 65, giving workers and families a break, and Irish
unity.”