A Clare Fine Gael TD says suggestions from a senior Fianna Fáil TD that the confidence and supply agreement is unlikely to be renewed are “unhelpful, but not unexpected”.
Barry Cowen suggested the would not be renewed this year, though other party officials ruled out an election.
Barry Cowen said this week that the confidence and supply agreement’s “natural lifetime may be over”.
The agreement was reached after no clear winners emerged in the last election, with Fianna Fáil committing to supporting the Fine Gael-led minority government for three Budgets.
With the last of those looming this October, Barry Cowen’s comments were met with hostility from Fine Gael.
Party TD Joe Carey isn’t surprised though – he spoke on today’s edition of Clare FM’s Morning Focus.
If Fianna Fáil was to withdraw its support of Fine Gael, an election would be inevitable but other senior party figures have played down this possibility, at least for now.
Timmy Dooley says there’s no public appetite to return to the polls.
However, he’s warning Fine Gael that issues in housing and health in particular need to be resolved.
