Simon Harris: Fine Gael 'should not be taken for granted' in government formation talks
About Edinburgh Micheal Veiled Ireland's Government File Sasko Formation Speaking A Harris, At Right, Gael Jab Fáil Made Talks, Fianna Martin's Fine Lazarov/rollingnews In Picture: Simon Leader
Fine Gael should “not be taken for granted” in government formation talks, Taoiseach Simon Harris said, as he reiterated the need for parity of esteem in any Coalition.
The Fine Gael leader said it would be “very difficult” to form any government without his party taking part, in a veiled jab at Fianna Fáil.
“I wouldn’t take my party for granted and I think fewer public musings and more concrete engagement is the way to proceed,” Mr Harris said.
In recent days, senior Fianna Fáil figures have pressed for Micheál Martin to get more time in the taoiseach’s office, as well as an additional Cabinet ministry.
Mr Martin also said the next Coalition must reflect the “very significant” number of seats won by Fianna Fáil, including in the government’s structure and policy agenda.
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However, Mr Harris responded by saying there is too much focus on Cabinet jobs rather than on policy at present.
“I just think, and we saw this during the election too, that there’s a little bit of an effort to jump to the end of the process. Who’s getting what ministry or rotating this or rotating that,” Mr Harris said. "That’s not what this is about.
Pressed if he believed Fianna Fáil were being presumptuous with their coalition asks, Mr Harris said he “didn’t want to point fingers”.
“Just last Friday, 458,000 people went out and gave their number one vote to the Fine Gael party.
"Those people are going to be heard, they’re going to be respected, and the mandate that comes with that 458,000 votes is going to be as well.”
Mr Harris added that there are “substantive policy issues” that need to be considered, as well as other smaller parties that should be involved in discussions as they also received “significant mandates”.
The Fine Gael leader would not be drawn on whether or not he would be happy as tánaiste for five years.
“I would point out that I think it would be very, very difficult to form any government without Fine Gael’s participation,” Mr Harris added.
“Parity of esteem has always been an important concept in coalition government. Parity of esteem applied in the last three-way coalition government, it wasn’t a Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil or Green Party specific thing.
“It’s about the glue that holds a government together for five years.”
The Taoiseach said he believed there would be three elements to the next government.
It is understood that both Mr Harris and Mr Martin met one another on the fringes of the British-Irish Council in Edinburgh on Thursday evening.
More substantial discussions are due to begin next week, with both parties having appointed negotiating teams to lead talks.
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