Senior Fine Gael ministers have dismissed a suggestion from their leader Leo Varadkar that the party could enter a voting pact with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.
In an interview last week, the Tánaiste suggested that while he expects Fine Gael to contest the next general election in 2025 as an independent party, his party could “seek to continue with the current partners” in Government.
He said that in a number of constituencies, both parties could have kept seats if a transfer agreement had been in place.
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However, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys both dismissed the idea at their Ard Fheis in Athlone on Saturday.
Minister Coveney said that while he hopes Fine Gael is on good terms with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party when the next election comes in or before 2025, the parties will stand on their own in the election.
Asked if he would give his number two vote to his Cork South Central colleague Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, Mr Coveney said that his first and second preference votes would be going to Fine Gael.
“I hope that we will be able to make a case that the outgoing government is one that could potentially be trusted again in the future,” he said.
“But I also think that parties will be standing on their own party record and vision for the future.
“Fine Gael will be making a very strong case to the country at that time, I suspect Fianna Fail would have their own ambitions.
“But I'd like to think that a lot of people who are choosing who to vote for in the next election will see that the outgoing government is one that they may be willing to transfer votes to.
“Formal transfer pacts are unlikely from what I've heard, but ultimately that would be a decision for the party leaders closer to the time.”
These comments were echoed by Minister Humphreys who said that Fine Gael will be fighting the election as an individual party.
“[Mr Varadkar] did say that if there was a transfer pack, that will be looked at at the time,” she said.
“The focus [at the Ard Fheis] is looking at what Fine Gael is doing and has been doing as part of this Government
This government, in my view, is working very well. But the people, at the end of the day, will be the judges of that.”
The idea of a transfer pact was ruled out by Taoiseach Micheál Martin last week, who said that people “don’t like being told what to do” or to vote for other parties’ candidates.
“My experience has been when candidates are on the doorstep, they're looking for votes for themselves and their party,” he said.
“If the punter is agreeable, they don't want to push it too far after that.
“The public makes their own minds up.”
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