Dissident Fianna Fáil TDs concerned about the impact of the crisis on the cost of living are demanding a review of the deal underlying the coalition struck two years ago.
his call, backed by a large group of backbenchers, is another blow to Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s lead. Tensions with coalition partners Fine Gael and GroenLinks will also increase.
Fianna Fáil TD and former minister Willie O’Dea said the government program signed at the end of June 2020 has been overtaken by rising prices and hit by “serious blockades” preventing the implementation of government promises.
He said the agreement with Fine Gael and the Green Party needs a total overhaul to refocus the functioning of the government.
Other leading Fianna Fáil TDs have supported Mr O’Dea’s call, including Dublin delegates Jim O’Callaghan, who is seen as a potential future leader, and John Lahart, who said the conditions under which the program for the government was agreed to be “completely changed”.
In a sign of mounting tensions with the Green Party in particular, Mr O’Dea warned that the pace of cutting carbon emissions to tackle climate change must be slowed down to protect jobs.
His comments also point to issues with Fine Gael over tax cuts versus targeted Social Security increases and maintaining the retirement age at 66.
Mr O’Dea expressed fears that the survival of the party in which he served as TD for 41 years is under threat.
“Fianna Fáil gets lost in government and her influence in government is lost to the Irish people,” he said. “What we have achieved for the Irish people seems to be a better kept secret than the third secret of Fatima. That is evident from the opinion polls.”
Recent polls have shown that Fianna Fáil is dangerously close to the 2011 meltdown level, with just 17 TDs and on the brink of extinction.
Limerick City TD, Mr O’Dea, said the impact of Covid has created new problems since the summer of 2020 that have created problems in the supply chain and fueled inflation to its highest point in 40 years.
This was seriously exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, and there is now fear of a recession.
Mr O’Dea said the Green Party’s demands on the pace of CO2 reduction would not only devastate farmers, but would endanger up to 60,000 jobs in the agri-food industry.
He said Martin’s commitment to keep the retirement age at 66 was contradicted just days later by Treasury Secretary Paschal Donohoe.
“We in Fianna Fáil need to take a hard line on that issue of pensions,” said Mr O’Dea.
Dublin South West TD Mr Lahart said: “No one expected Covid to still be with us, and at the time of signing [the Programme for Government]no vaccine had yet been discovered.
There was no war in Ukraine, with its dire humanitarian consequences and subsequent impact on European countries, including Ireland, and there were no concerns about inflation.
“There is an urgent need to rethink the program to take into account the changing circumstances we are facing. It’s a very reasonable question.”
Reiterating that view, Mr O’Callaghan said: “There has been such a remarkable change since June 2020 that it is clear that a review of the program for the government is due in the fall.
“When the program was introduced, it was never anticipated that there would be an inflation of nearly 10 percent or a war in Europe. The government must take those factors into account when planning for the remainder of its term in office.”
Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cúiv said his belief that Fianna Fáil should never have gone into government with Fine Gael and that the Green Party had not changed.
However, he doubted the value of a full review of the agreement. “What we need is a focus on providing basic services for people,” he said.
A large group of other Fianna Fáil TDs will support Mr O’Dea’s call.
Tipper’s deputy, Jackie Cahill, favors a review, saying the Green Party is “too focused on what we can’t do and not on what we can do”.
Mr Cahill reiterated the arguments that the economic landscape has completely changed, requiring a new focus for the government.