THE Minister for Further and Higher Education, Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan, said that he is hopeful a new government could be formed by next Wednesday (January 22), but that negotiations so far have been “complicated”.
Speaking Tuesday at the sod turning on the new Newcastle West Garda Station, the Fine Gael TD told reporters: “Look, this is senior hurling. I mean, it’s a serious matter to put a government together of two big parties, to bring in independents is obviously complicated.”
Despite this, Minister O’Donovan said that all parties were “nearing the end of government formation discussions”, which he says have been “very positive”.
“They’ve been focused primarily on policy, and I’d be hoping that over the next 24 or 48 hours that we would have the shape of a programme for government the two parliamentary parties can discuss, along with the other deputies that are going to support the government, and that we would be in a position when the Dáil reconvenes on January 22nd to be in a position to elect the government.
“But obviously, that’s all predicated on the result of an outcome for the two parliamentary parties and the group of regional independents.”
On the new programme for government, the Limerick TD said that evening is being “taken on a case by case, department by department, policy area by policy area” basis.
“The two parliamentary parties will have an opportunity, as soon as the document is finalised, to examine it. Thereafter, it will go to the party memberships.
“In our case, we will have five regional meetings, so they will have to be convened fairly quickly. And then, once they’re concluded, the Dáil will meet next Wednesday and hopefully we’ll be in a position to elect the government.”
Environmental responsibilities
Minister O’Donovan said that despite the ousting of the Green Party, which was relegated to obscurity in the last election, the new government will nonetheless be committed to its environmental responsibilities.
“I don’t think either party (Fianna áil or Fine Gael), certainly not Fine Gael, are going to deny the fact that we are in a changed environment with regard to weather patterns,” Deputy O’Donovan said.
“You only need to turn on the television any night and you see what’s happening around the world, see what happened here in West Limerick last week, where we didn’t experience anything like that snowfall for the previous number of years.
“So the next government will obviously have a clear focus with regard to climate, but it will also have a clear focus with regard to how we respond to the challenges. I think that there’s a definite urgency between both parties and the independents to get on with the job of government.”
The Minister reiterated the message from the last number of days that “there will be five budgets” in the term of the new government, “so everybody that would sign up to it would know going in from the start that this is a five-year plan for five budgets, and we give certainty to the people and certainty to all areas policy as well”.
