Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has said that today Mary Lou McDonald has been in contact with leaders of the Social Democrats and the Labour Party about a potential coalition.
The numbers are clearly now there for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to form a government together after the general election.
The Sinn Féin leader topped the poll in her Dublin heartland in Dublin Central.
That outcome of a fractured political landscape shows how deeply alienated many voters are with established parties — and how difficult forming a stable new government will be.
Its already clear that despite McDonald’s personal triumph, her Irish republican party nationwide has fallen short again in its efforts to overpower the center-ground parties that lead Ireland’s current government, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
However Eoin Ó Broin said “The outcome of the election is now clear. The numbers are there for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to form a government together. It looks like Micheál Martin is intent on bringing Fine Gael in as a junior party for the next five years. This would be the worst possible outcome for the people of the country.
“It would be disastrous for people who need housing, for people who are on hospital trolleys, for people who are suffering with the cost of living crisis, for young people who are considering leaving Ireland because they see no future here.
“People need a government that will sort out all of that.
“Today we have made contact with the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour Party and we will be contacting the other progressive TDs and groupings this week.
“Our new increased parliamentary team will meet on Wednesday in Leinster House with Mary Lou McDonald and we will assess where we take things at that stage.”
