LABOUR LEADER IVANA Bacik has said that “the deal had already been done” between Fianna Fáil and the Regional Independents before she felt government formation talks had concluded.

Speaking on The Late Late Show, Bacik said that, as a party leader, she had individual meetings with Micheál Martin and Simon Harris in the early stages of negotiations, but by the second stage “it was clear that a deal had been done”.

“And indeed, the Ceann Comhairle was then elected the next day.”

Last week, Verona Murphy won the first-ever Dáil vote of confidence in a Ceann Comhairle.

Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Independent Ireland and People Before Profit had tabled a motion of no confidence after chaotic scenes in the Dáil.

It all began with the speaking rights row, when opposition parties protested allowing some independent TDs who supported government formation to have new speaking rights, alongside backbenchers in the coalition parties.

The row has halted committee work, and delayed the nomination of the Taoiseach.

It also resulted in unprecedented disruption in the Dáil chamber, which the Ceann Comhairle struggled to get under control.

‘Two fingers to democracy’

On The Late Late Show tonight, Bacik said she wanted to “draw back the curtain” on the government formation talks, which perhaps created the first rumblings of discontent.

“We had very positive and constructive negotiations with Fine Gael, and there was a lot of commonality.

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“When we went to Fianna Fáil, however, it was very clear that the deal had already been done with the Regional Independents and there wasn’t going to be any give from their side on our demands, on our policy program.

“And we know in the Labour Party how important is, if you go into government, you must be able to deliver at least a critical amount of your programme.”

Bacik said the now infmaous photo of Michael Lowry holding up two fingers to People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy in the Dáil chamber is an “enduring image”.

The audience applauded as she said Lowry gave the two fingers “to democracy”.