'How does that represent change?' - Social Democrats TD would be 'massively uncomfortable' with FF/FG govt
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has said that he would be “massively uncomfortable” supporting a Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael government.
The Dublin Central representative told Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show that he believes the two parties would have the numbers for a majority if they secure the support of the Green Party.
“For me as a new TD - where does that leave me if the only game in town is a grand coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael? From the perspective of the Soc Dems - how does that represent change for the people that voted for me, if all we're doing is going in with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael?
“I'd be massively uncomfortable to do that. I'd be massively uncomfortable for a variety of reasons.”
However, he said he would not criticise the Greens for getting involved in the negotiations for a new government as that party was elected on a "platform of urgency".
“They can't campaign on 10-and-a-half years of years before ecological destruction, and sit five of them out.”
The reasons why people voted for Sinn Féin “have to be respected,” he said, in reference to the "hostility" in the Dáil chamber on Thursday.
“We were having the election for Taoiseach, and Micheál Martin had about four pages where he went through a litany of what he considered abuses at Sinn Féin.
Within all that, we still have to have discussions about the future and what the future of this country looks like.
“There's a massive amount of cruelty and violence that's taken place in this State that still needs to have a truth and reconciliation process towards.
"If we only ever focus on the past, it negates the fact that we still have to build for the future,” he added.
