Budget 2017 row as FG told to take ‘FF road or high road’
Dangerously high levels of political instability
A SERIOUS row has blown up between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over which party will decide the contents of Budget 2017.
The war escalated after Paschal Donohoe warned that Fianna Fáil would not be allowed to introduce new spending demands that hadn’t been outlined when it agreed to facilitate the minority Government.
This followed complaints by anonymous Fine Gael ministers that Fianna Fáil was planning to hold Fine Gael ‘to ransom’ and that it was playing a ‘disgraceful political game’.
The Public Expenditure Minister told Fianna Fáil: ‘It is not appropriate that its support for this budget becomes conditional on items that are not included in the supply and confidence agreement.’
However, indicating the dangerously high levels of political instability, senior Fianna Fáil sources warned that Fine Gael would have to ‘take the Fianna Fáil road or the high road’ for Budget 2017.
In a scathing attack, Fianna Fáil frontbench TD Darragh O’Brien accused Fine Gael of going on ‘a series of nonsensical solo runs’.
‘Unfortunately it still appears that Fine Gael needs ongoing house training in the principles of partnership,’ he said.
Mr O’Brien also warned Fine Gael ‘to wake up to the fact they don’t have a 50-seat majority. They are not lords and masters of all they survey – they are a small minority Government, surviving on grace and favour. They have to adopt Fianna Fáil policies and actually respect the opposition’.
An unrepentant Willie O’Dea, whose call for a €5 pension increase sparked the current conflagration, told Fine Gael: ‘Fianna Fáil will be bringing its ideas to the table and we will not let Fine Gael subsequently claim credit for ideas they have resolutely opposed. ‘Fine Gael knows our requirements. Our manifesto said we support a €30 pension increase and we are not going to wait until the third year of Government to start implementing that,’ he said. Mr O’Dea, who said he had not taken ‘a blind bit of notice’ of his FG critics, also warned: ‘The budget will be decided by the bilateral agreement with Fianna Fáil. Some elements of Fine Gael still have to learn what partnership is about but this budget will be a joint declaration.’ The Fianna Fáil chairperson of the high-profile finance committee John McGuinness, accused Fine Gael of behaving in a ‘politically naive’ fashion. He also suggested that Fine Gael could be looking to change the deal between the two parties.
‘Fianna Fáil backbenchers will not tolerate a scenario where Fine Gael renege on the two-party deal between FF and FG or the spirit of that deal,’ he said. ‘Fine Gael would be politically naive to believe they can ignore that deal – confidence would not last. It would be irresponsible of them to ignore this deal or Fianna Fáil. It could provoke a crisis.’
Other senior Fianna Fáil figures said: ‘If FG provokes a sham fight they may find themselves in a real fight. When it comes to this budget, it is a case of Fianna Fáil’s way or the high way.’
They added: ‘We have a deal and any bad faith by Fine Gael will collapse this – we are watchdogs not Labour-style poodles.’
One senior Fianna Fáil source added: ‘We won’t be subverting our issues to the needs of Leo’s leadership campaign.’
The Irish Mail on Sunday has learned that Fianna Fáil has been in contact with Mr Donohoe to set out how the pre-budget consultative process will work. A response has not yet been received.
FF playing a ‘disgraceful political game’ ‘We are watchdogs not Labour-style poodles’