Sinn Féin to vote against Enda Kenny and Mícheál Martin as Taoiseach

SINN FÉIN will be voting against the nominations of both Fine Gael's Enda Kenny and Fianna Fáil's Mícheál Martin as Taoiseach if the vote goes ahead on Thursday afternoon, Gerry Adams told reporters at the Dáil ahead of the vote.

Sinn Féin will call for the election of a Taoiseach to be postponed as it seems likely the vote will be inconclusive.

The Sinn Féin leader said that a motion on the housing crisis and homelessness is only being discussed this week because Sinn Féin pressed for it last week. This, along with issues such as Irish Water and the health service, are the key issues affecting citizens outside what he called “the bubble”.

Asked if there was any way that Sinn Féin could help in supporting the formation of the Government, Gerry Adams said that Sinn Féin has been talking to loyalists and the British Government so it has no problem talking with anyone else, including Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

“Sinn Féin's position is very straightforward – we will talk to anyone and everyone. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are the parties who have said they won't talk to us.” He reiterated Sinn Féin's openness to talks.

He added that because Sinn Féin fought the election on the Right2Change platform, it is difficult to envisage a the development of a Programme of Government by Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil that embraced those principles. But, he added: “We are happy to talk to anyone.”

He said that Sinn Féin has been talking to TDs outside of Sinn Féin to form a progressive Opposition and seek the maximum co-operation, especially between the “Right2Change TDs”.

He reiterated that there is a clear compatibility between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on social and economic issues and the offer made by Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny to Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin “deserved more exploration”.

The Sinn Féin leader noted that it has been seven weeks since the general election but the two big parties had failed to discuss or exchange policy papers. “What were they doing for the past seven weeks in the so-called negotiations?”

He added:

“Those who have compatible policies need to coalesce and work out programmes. If they had tried that and failed, that would have been something but they haven't even discussed policy at a point when there are crises out there in families, communities and amongst our neighbours,” he said, pointing beyond the gates of the Dáil.

“If Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil don't come to an agreement, then there will have to be another election.”