Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not unreasonable to ask that people state whom they are willing to support. Many very candid positions have been stated in private which have yet to be repeated in public. We have repeatedly answered in the affirmative questions the Independents have put to us about our capacity and willingness to support a Fine Gael-led minority Government if the numbers dictated so. Fine Gael has refused to reciprocate. That said, however, and following this vote, it is time to move on. As we have stated repeatedly, and as I outlined in the Dáil last week and on Sunday and Monday, Fianna Fáil believes that a minority Government is the only credible and legitimate outcome from the current make-up of the Dáil.  We understand the need for an agreement which allows such a Government to function. We agreed with Fine Gael last Saturday to enter into discussions about a minority Government. We have approached these discussions in good faith and have achieved significant progress on the most important issue, which is to define responsibilities and approaches between parties in such an arrangement.

This said, there are very significant concerns relating to these discussions and whether the entire process can be completed. The single most important change required to make any new arrangement work is to abandon the mindset of trying to spin and control everything.  Good faith requires demonstrating that you can understand and address the needs of the other side. In recent years the obsessive daily spinning defined an approach to governing which has been decisively rejected by the people. Fine Gael would be well served if it understood how its behaviour towards the other party in the outgoing Government suggested what could be charitably called "a complete lack of partnership".

To be very direct, we will not get to an agreement unless there is an abandonment of the manoeuvring and inflexibility we have seen in the past week alone. As the Taoiseach knows, meetings this week have been delayed a few times due to Fine Gael's requests and delays. The very first time this happened on the other side, however, official statements were being made within minutes expressing annoyance and threatening a breakdown. Equally, the decision to pass motions at the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting yesterday directly intended to reject our positions was at the very least deliberately unhelpful and provocative. We are in danger of the word "partnership" being drained of any substance.

The future of Irish Water is not the single most important issue facing our country but it is important and the election represented a decisive rejection of current policies. The post-election lobbying campaign by this State company is unprecedented in our history. It is a total waste of public money and of the legitimate balance of powers between Parliament and State companies. Once Dáil committees are established, we will be seeking an investigation into the cost and nature of this campaign.  In addition, we should be very clear that any attempt by Irish Water to accelerate contracts and hiring for non-essential maintenance roles will be seen as an attempt to undermine discussions on water policy by elected representatives.

It is not yet clear that Fine Gael understands the need to move away from the highly controlling attitude which defined the past five years. We await a demonstration that it knows how to respect the interests of others. If Fine Gael wants to find a way of making the new situation work and is genuine in understanding that the old approach to government is over, then we continue to be willing to be flexible. We are prepared to continue in discussions with Fine Gael about the operation of a minority Government. However, we expect that it will do what it has so far refused to do, namely, detail whom it expects to participate in such an arrangement and outline that Government's programme.

From the very beginning we have been straight and open about our position.  We have not stood on the sidelines but have taken a constructive and flexible approach, while being true to the core promise we made to the half a million people who voted for us. This will continue to be our approach. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Dáil for their indulgence.

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