Cunning plan to rescue fox COALITION TALKS HIT BY ELECTION PLANNING ROW
ANIMAL rescuers helped free a fox cub after it got its head stuck inside a vase.
An RSPCA officer responded to a garden in Basildon, England.
The animal was monitored overnight and returned to the area the next day.
FINE Gael has said Government formation talks have been “damaged” by an election planning row.
Some Fianna Fail TDS criticised the caretaker Fine Gael-led administration after it emerged officials were making contingencies for another election if negotiations fail.
Fine Gael insisted yesterday the officials were only “doing their jobs” because the constitution stipulates a ballot must take place within set time frames.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin are due to meet early this week to discuss the row.
It erupted ahead of week three of formal negotiations between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Greens on forming an administration.
It is now more than three months since February’s General Election.
Fianna Fail negotiator Barry Cowen
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claimed the move by the Government, reported on Saturday, “smacks of bad faith” while Thomas Byrne said the suggestion the coronavirus contingencies would include polling stations inside nursing homes was “utterly sick”. Fine
Gael responded yesterday and defended the planning.
It said in a statement: “The constitution and the law are clear on this.
“Elections, by-elections and referenda must happen within defined time frames once vacancies arise.
“There is no specific provision for public health emergencies (e.g. pandemics) envisaged in the constitution or the law. Officials were only doing their jobs by scenario planning for all eventualities.
“The fact that this prompted an attack on Fine Gael by two senior Fianna Fail spokespeople was unwarranted and has damaged the talks process.”