FF CLLR: MÍCHEÁL MARTIN IS USING BREXIT AS A ‘DECOY’

FF TD JOHN BRASSIL INSISTS PARTY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO EXTEND CONFIDENCE FOR A FOURTH BUDGET

FIANNA Fáil councillors are largely behind party leader Mícheál Martin’s decision to extend the confidence and supply arrangement for another budget with the Fine Gael government.

Councillors met with FF TD John Brassil and Senator Mark Daly on Monday on the issue, where they expressed some misgivings – and Councillor John Francis Flynn said he believes Martin is using Brexit as a ‘decoy’.

That’s at a time when Fianna Fáil continues to lag behind Fine Gael in polling.

A majority consensus on the decision was achieved in the meeting, John Brassil said: “Councillors have concerns over issues like housing, health, rural broadband and roads. The County Councillors wanted the opportunity to make their views heard and I was quite happy to hear them, of course,” Deputy Brassil said.

“I would have been quite happy to go to the people of Kerry in an election as I am not happy with the Government’s performance on key issues like health, broadband and roads,” Deputy Brassil said.

“But if Brexit wasn’t happening, and happening in such a chaotic fashion, it would be a very different story. We would be facing an imminent election.”

Asked if he thought Martin was using Brexit as an excuse, Deputy Brassil replied: “He was very clear in the discussion I had with him on it: He would not have made the decision but for Brexit.”

“John McGuinness might be demanding an election next May but we’re talking about an election after the next budget, a difference of six months, that’s all.

“There’s no guarantee in the meantime – we’re not handing the Government a blank cheque.

“For all its faults. confidence has managed to achieve quite a bit, from re-introducing local improvement schemes to retention of mortgage interest relief; the introduction of an affordable housing scheme was another confidence and supply measure.”

However, FF Cllr John Francis Flynn was critical of the move to extend confidence:

“Brexit is being used a decoy,” he said.

“I am not happy with what is going on in health and housing, and Brexit is not a good enough excuse to overlook these issues, especially when University Hospital Kerry is in crisis.”

Cllr Flynn has now called for the party in Kerry to invite Micheál Martin to a meeting before all the county’s delegates, to better gauge the grassroots’ mood.