Talks with Fine Gael were constructive but far from definitive – McGrath

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has described negotiations with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Fine Gael negotiating teams as constructive and cordial. Deputy McGrath was speaking after he and four other rural Independent TD’s met with the team in Government Buildings this morning for almost two hours:

“I think the meeting this morning was a very useful scoping exercise in terms of assessing how sincere the Fine Gael party are about forming a genuine political partnership agreement.

The Taoiseach expressed his acknowledgement that we are in a completely different political space now and one that will require a thoroughly revised vision for the operation of Dáil business.

I made it clear to him however that we are very far from committing to a Fine Gael led government.

The emphasis was certainly on the fact that we as rural independent deputies want to play our part in constructively addressing the many crippling problems that still afflict our society.

If that can be achieved alternatively by a Fianna Fail led minority government then so be it. The important thing is to address resolve the issues facing our people.

Each party is going to have demonstrate in a very solid way that enhanced political partnership is now the order of the day.

I for my part am determined to ensure that both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail realise that the day of single party dominance is over and that Independent TD’s are here to make a genuine difference to ordinary people’s lives at both the national and local level,” concluded Deputy McGrath.

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