FG election-ready... but focus is on here and now
FINE Gael is ready for a general election – but does not think it should happen any time soon. That is the view of party chairman Martin Heydon as it prepares to gather for a two-day, pre-Dáil think-in in Clonmel today. It is Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s first big party event as the new leader and comes as all parties prepare to return to the Dáil next Wednesday after the summer recess.
Mr Heydon concedes that his party is advancing its election preparations like all other parties. But he insists there is too much talk about an election which voters do not want, and there is no reason why the current Fine Gael-led minority Coalition cannot deliver all three budgets as agreed with Fianna Fáil in the deal to underpin the Government.
“All of the opposition parties have spent a lot of time focusing on the prospect of an early election. If an election happens, we will certainly be ready for it,” the Kildare South TD said.
“But our focus and responsibility is very much on making sure that this Government works and that it delivers for the people.”
Mr Heydon also said that, despite all the denials by both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, a government-sharing deal between both is still a very likely option after the next election. This is a theme pushed by Fine Gael for several months, while it also avoids discussing the prospect of what coalition options it might pursue.
The Fine Gael chairman argues that Sinn Féin has a newly-discovered interest in power, north and south of the Border, and power has always been Fianna Fáil’s political focus.
“We know the value Fianna Fáil places upon power … Sinn Féin is now the one who wants to be connected with power,” he said.
The Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil deal of May 2016 provides for three budgets by this Coalition. The second of these will be presented in less than four weeks, on October 10, and is expected to be agreed by TDs.
After that, few at Leinster House are optimistic that this Coalition can last another full year. Increasingly, there is a belief voters will be called back to polling booths little more than two years after the last election.
Things have changed a great deal since their last pre-Dáil gathering in Newbridge a year ago. Then the focus was on when and how Enda Kenny would quit the leadership, but now the TDs and senators feel reassured that they have a new leader who can help them recover much of the losses incurred in the last election.
Heavy general election losses have caused much soul-searching about what went wrong in February 2016 and the remaining TDs and senators have also demanded more say in forging party policy. Mr Heydon says that weekly party meetings are dominated by the day-today political demands but this gathering is a chance to stand back and outline the bigger-picture direction.
Proceedings begin with an address from Mr Varadkar, which will be open to journalists and relayed live on Facebook.
In the afternoon there will be a briefing and discussion with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe on the budget and the Government’s capital spending plans for the next 10 years.