Tóibín pulls out of government formation talks

Peadar Tóibín TD, leader of the Aontú party has this evening sent a letter to both FF and FG indicating that Aontú will not participate any further with FF/FG government formation talks. Deputy Tóibín stated: “We are incredibly frustrated by the length of time it is taking to form a government and by the significant and damaging democratic deficit that is being allowed to continue for months and months. We stated that we would not add to this ever-ending government formation process. As a result, we have come back within a week with our position”.

“We believe that because of the current Pandemic, every political party with a mandate has a responsibility to stretch themselves in order to provide a strong and stable government. We approached the process open to seeing if this was possible. We provided FF and FG with a 5 page document of key policies, priorities and reforms that we believe are necessary for a real government of change”.

He added: “It is Aontú’s aim that the next government presses the reset button. We must ensure that the Ireland that emerges after the Covid-19 crisis recedes is an Ireland where we are really in this together”.

“However, we cannot sign a blank cheque. We have seen no evidence that either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael really seek to press the reset button. None of the objectives outlined in the Framework Document between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can be sustainably achieved unless Tax injustice, Apple Tax or the overhang of our sovereign debt are dealt with. We cannot see any financial substance to the approach of these two parties”.

“While the mood music seems to have changed in relation to housing and health, 96 days after the general election, the approach of FF and FG remains completely nebulous. We see no appetite for the dysfunctional housing, insurance and beef markets to be radically reformed”. CRIOCH

THE TEXT OF THE LETTER

7 Arda Chill an Chairn,

An Uaimh,

Co na Mí

14ú Bealtaine 2020

Simon agus Dara, a chairde,

I would like to thank you both for the meeting to discuss Government Formation on the 7th of May.

Myself and Cllr Sarah O’Reilly indicated at that meeting that we are incredibly frustrated by the length of time it is taking to form a government and by the significant and damaging democratic deficit that is being allowed to continue for months and months. We stated that we would not add to this ever-ending government formation process. As a result, we have come back within a week with our position.

We believe that because of the current Pandemic, every political party with a mandate has a responsibility to stretch themselves in order to provide a strong and stable government. We approached the process open to seeing if this was possible. We provided your two parties with a 5 page document of key policies, priorities and reforms that we believe are necessary for a real government of change.

The Covid-19 Crisis has hit Ireland hard. So many lives have been lost and so many people are grieving. Many have been cast into significant financial insecurity and the country is in the jaws of a serious economic crisis.

Ireland is a deeply divided country, not just north-south, but in many other ways also. We have an overheating capital with the worst congestion in Europe. We have a sprawling commuter belt where workers spend 3 hours per day commuting from as far as Munster, Connacht and Ulster. And we have a rural Ireland that is emptying out of its young people.

Ireland is divided between those who have access to healthcare and those who don’t, between those who have access to housing and those who don’t, between those who live in safe neighbourhoods and those that are ravaged by crime.

It is Aontú’s aim that the next government presses the reset button. We must ensure that the Ireland that emerges after the Covid-19 crisis recedes is an Ireland where we are really in this together.

However, we cannot sign a blank cheque. We have seen no evidence that either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael really seek to press the reset button. None of the objectives outlined in the Framework Document between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can be sustainably achieved unless Tax injustice, Apple Tax or the overhang of our sovereign debt are dealt with. We cannot see any financial substance to the approach of your two parties.

While the mood music seems to have changed in relation to housing and health, 96 days after the general election, your approach remains completely nebulous. We see no appetite for the dysfunctional housing, insurance and beef markets to be radically reformed.

The people of Ireland went to the polls against a backdrop of crisis after crises in health and housing. These crises remain and will now be exacerbated by the turmoil that Covid 19 has wreaked in our economy.

Ireland is becoming a city state and the ambition to reverse the trend in absent in our view. We were surprised that in the teeth of a climate crisis logical objectives such as increasing public transport capacity and reducing costs to the consumer by 50% were still seen as radical in your view. In fairness to both your parties there does seem to be some movement on Irish Unity but this seems minimalist and a distance behind the people.

On the Human Right to Life we are not confident that the next government would prevent further deregulation of abortion. We had no indication that the socio-economic challenges that make so many mothers feel that they have no choice will be tackled. We had no indication that humane requests such as pain relief for unborn children in late abortions or protection for unborn children with disabilities would be given a legal basis.

It’s clear also that there exists significant differences of opinion between Aontú and FG and FF on the need for Collective Bargaining and Irish Neutrality to be given a constitutional underpinning.

We are a small political party, but that lessens in no way our determination to remain true to the over 50,000 people that trusted us with their support in the last elections.

On the basis of the above and to ensure that the government formation process is not lengthened needlessly we will not participate further. We thank you for your time.

Go n-eirí libh.

___________________________

Peadar Tóibín TD

Leader of Aontú