Aontú will meet FF and FG today to start discussions on Government Formation

Peadar Tóibín TD and Leader of Aontú and Aontú Cavan/Monghan Cllr, Sarah O’Reilly will meet FF and FG negotiators today to discuss Government Formation.

An Teachta Tóibín has been critical of what he calls “the shockingly slow pace of government formation. Tomorrow it will be 90 days since the General Election. In the largest crisis the country has seen in generations we have a Taoiseach with no mandate, a Cabinet where some Ministers are no longer TDs, a legislature that cannot legislate and a Dáil that cannot properly scrutinise or hold to account. It is critical that this democratic deficit comes to an end as soon as possible”.

“We have been highly critical of the actions of this government over the last 10 years. However given the scale of the crisis no party has a right to walk away and say its some one else’s job. We are entering talks to positively explore is there a real opportunity to build a government of change. We want to see is it possible for the country to press the reset button. The sentence most used in this crisis is “We are all in this together”. It is patently clear that this was not the case in Ireland for the last 10 years. We want to explore the possibility that the Ireland that emerges after this crisis is an Ireland where we are all really in this together”.

“However these talks are not a blank cheque. Aontú will only participate in government if we are confident that our core objectives with regards Housing, Healthcare, Transport, Regional Development and a new deal for Farming will be delivered upon in the next government."

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.