Extend our deal with FG? It’s a no brainer says Micheal
Martin in Ard Fheis speech
FIANNA Fail leader Micheal Martin said it’s a “no-brainer” for the party to extend the confidence and supply agreement in the midst of Brexit.
He revealed delegates had a “nuanced view” on the decision to give the Government the space it needed to deal with the negotiations on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
Mr Martin said: “If we were now in the middle of an election we would not be in a position to put through emergency legislation that’s required in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
“Now, how logical would that be for the Irish Parliament and the Irish Government and the Irish political system? To me it’s a no-brainer.”
He made the comments on his arrival at the party’s Ard Fheis in Dublin. Brexit and housing issues dominated the agenda of the day-long event in the Citywest Hotel.
Mr Martin refuted his strategy to back the Government was not widely endorsed by many delegates in the party.
He said: “I would not accept that actually... it’s not an issue in terms of my leadership.
“There’s a more nuanced view on it as well when you talk to people and go through all the issues.”
Fianna Fail re-entered into a confidence and supply arrangement with Fine Gael last year. Discussing the party’s partnership with the SDLP in the North, Mr Martin added a new political agenda was required there. He said: “Sinn Fein and the DUP, in our view, have essentially – by the way they ran the Executive – undermined the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.
“The sensible thing for us is to work with the SDLP who are routed in the North... but work with them on a policy agenda in terms of that bringing new ideas and approaches.”
Sensible thing for us is to work with SDLP, rooted in the North MICHEAL MARTIN DUBLIN YESTERDAY