A Number Of Fianna Fáil TDs Have Said They Would Consider Working With Sinn Féin To Form The Next Government

Monday, 8 February 2021 17:13

Their comments come a year on from the general election

Micheál Martin refused to negotiate with Mary Lou McDonald after the 2020 election result.

Seán Defoe has this report for RedFM News:

'Around this time last year most of the politicians had cast their ballots and done their polling centre photo shoots, and were settling in for the agonising wait until the exit poll.

The result threw Irish politics on its head and even now the parties are still only just finding their feet, having also been blindsided by COVID-19.

Fianna Fáil's review of its poor election performance is still not done - and the process being led by Junior Minister Sean Fleming will have to be comprehensive if the party is to recover and avoid a slide towards the political sidelines.

Sinn Féin concluded what most punters could see straight away after the votes came in - they need to run more candidates.

Mary Lou McDonald could field twice the candidates next time around and make serious gains.

Fine Gael are arguably the happiest of the government parties, despite the poor result a year ago.

Riding high in the polls they've set themselves up as the anti-Sinn Féin, the closest Ireland has come to a traditional left right divide.

The Green Party is struggling with the realities of power and in-fighting as Labour, the Social Democrats and Solidarity-PBP eye up their votes and disaffected members.

And while the next election is likely still ages away - it's never really far from the mind of any politician.'