Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the House will be aware, as in the case of other Independent Deputies, the Independent Alliance has been in discussions with both the Fine Gael Party and the Fianna Fáil Party for many weeks. Most of those discussions have been constructive and useful and, in some cases, progressive. Progress is being made. We are getting used to being love-bombed by both parties. The problem, however, is that neither of those parties will love-bomb each other. Whereas the channel of communication between the Independent Alliance and both parties is good when they talk to each other, the civil war politics immediately emerges. That is unacceptable. Moves by us to bring these two sides together have either been ignored or deliberately misunderstood.

Those who say there is play-acting going on should realise that it is time this ended and that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil got together and made some immediate and urgent steps to give this country a Government.

The result of the frustration which is being felt by the people was manifest at a meeting that we held today, which was attended by nearly all the Independents who participated in the process. We issued a statement afterwards saying that if Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil could not get together, as we said last weekend, we would have to facilitate talks on a specific agenda. That agenda is this: Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil should treat each other with the parity of esteem which is necessary in this unique situation. In other words, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil should recognise that if there is a democratic vote in this assembly which gives one party supremacy or leadership over the other, they must mutually agree that they will respect that vote, go into a minority Government with the leading party and support it in that way. It must be mutual.

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