The goal of the ongoing negotiations is to have a government in place by the next Dáil meeting on January 22, reports RTE.
Last night, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael negotiation teams met with independent Kerry TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae.
Additionally, the Regional Independents group was scheduled to continue their discussions, reports RTE.
Those engaged in the negotiations have some optimism that a draft government program will be ready by the middle of this week.
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman stated that there is “concern that we’re going to see this patchwork of deals rather than a program for government that tackles the big issues” in relation to the government formation negotiations with the Healy-Raes and regional independents, reports RTE.
“A program for government has to be for the whole country, it can’t just be for one county,” Mr. O’Gorman continued, speaking on RTÉ’s This Week program.
Mr. O’Gorman stated that he is “concerning about policies that are going to be implemented” and that there is often a “focus on individuals” during the discussions, reports RTE.
Sinn Féin was condemned by Richard Boyd Barrett, the head of People Before Profit-Solidarity, for keeping “open the option of going into government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”
Mr. Boyd Barrett went on to say that this could be the reason he thought Ruth Coppinger, a party colleague, “didn’t vote for Mary Lou McDonald” for Taoiseach, reports RTE.
He claimed that in an attempt to “win votes among certain sections,” Sinn Féin “unfortunately” made “concessions to the right.”
“Our job in People Before Profit is to keep pushing them left,” he said, adding that he has “no doubt that their voters are looking for left wing type policies”, reports RTE.
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