It was clear from today’s round table meeting on a partnership approach to Government, that there is an acknowledgement by all present that the Dáil must find new ways of doing business, if a Government is to be able to operate in this changed political landscape.

It is my view that today’s meeting was valuable and allowed independent TD’s and smaller party’s to have their issues and national priorities addressed in a new type of Government Programme, along the lines of my proposed ‘Political Partnership Agreement’.

Today, we need a similar structure to the Social Partnership agreements of the 1990’s to bring about a Political Partnership Agreement across a broad range of constructive TDs in Dáil Éireann who are willing to come up to the plate of Government.

In tandem with that, I believe that we need a radically reformed Dáil Éireann and a new inclusive budgetary process which allows for everybody’s input to the drafting of a Budget.

I made it clear to all those in attendance at today’s forum that these three strands must come together before a Government, of whatever make up is actually formed.
It was also made crystal clear at the meeting today by a number of Independent TDs that no agreement can be achieved without the co-operation of Fianna Fail, Labour & the Social Democrats and that engagement must now take place with the three parties.

I would again reiterate that I have not made any determination on who I will support for the Office of An Taoiseach at this stage, but I believe that the current political stand-off that we have seen to-date by many parties is not in the best interest of this country, of those who are homeless, those who are on trollies, those who are unemployed or struggling to meet day to day bills and the issues that affect rural Ireland.