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Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
Micheál Martin
# shots fired
Micheál Martin: I think Enda Kenny is deluded and no one takes him seriously
The Fianna Fáil leader has hit back at the Taoiseach’s comments about either a Fine Gael or Sinn Féin-led government.
FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin has accused the government of “spinning, spinning, spinning all the time” and said that no one takes Taoiseach Enda Kenny seriously.
Speaking in the wake of Kenny outlining a choice of either a Fine Gael or Sinn Féin-led government after the next election, Martin hit back this morning, accusing the Taoiseach of “extreme arrogance”.
“I just think he’s deluded. I think no one takes the Taoiseach seriously,” Martin told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
Martin denied that he was ‘sore’ over Kenny pointedly ignoring Fianna Fáil in his remarks last Friday.
The Cork South-Central TD accused the coalition of breaking promises in relation to the the burning of bondholders, the establishment of universal health insurance and the prescription charge which has increased rather than been abolished as Fine Gael pledged before the last election
“He [Kenny] needs to practice far more humility and less arrogance and stop trying to tell the people who’s going to be in the next government, who the people are going to vote for. The people will decide that themselves,” Martin said.
Despite opinion polls showing Fine Gael and Sinn Féin as the two largest parties in the country, Martin insisted that his party performed strongest in the “the last real opinion poll” where Fianna Fáil won the most seats of any party in the local elections last May.
“The last real opinion poll was the local elections only a couple of months ago, that’s the bottom line and that’s the facts,” he said.
Martin also categorically ruled out going into coalition with either Fine Gael or Sinn Féin after the next election.
“I will not be going into government with Sinn Féin,” he said, adding a short time later: “We have ruled out going into government with Fine Gael.”
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