By Gráinne Ní Aodha and Cate McCurry, PA
The Labour party has ruled itself out of government formation talks with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on Friday, blaming “a policy gulf” and different visions for Ireland.
The parliamentary party held a meeting on Thursday afternoon during which the decision was put forward and agreed.
Ms Bacik said that she called the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Simon Harris and Micheál Martin, to tell them of her decision before announcing it to the media.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – the two main coalition partners in the last government – are expected to re-enter government together and replace the Greens for a group of independents as its junior partners.
This gained momentum when the Regional Group TD Verona Murphy was backed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to become the next Ceann Comhairle when the Dail returned on Wednesday.
Government formation talks are expected to continue in the coming days before breaking for the Christmas period and resuming in early January.
Ms Bacik said that the next government would be of the “status quo” and not “a government for change that we stood for and we want to see”, and said Labour would build on its ambitions in opposition.
Asked why the decision to rule out government was not made two weeks ago, she said the party did not want to walk away from talks without “exploring whether it would be possible to see a way to implement our policies”.
She said the party had “genuinely constructive” engagement with the two big parties.
“But of course the numbers were always going to make it difficult for us, or any smaller party, going in with the bigger two to have the leverage to deliver on the policies that our communities need. That was always there, it was evident to everyone I think.”
She said among the obstacles to forming a government were Labour’s call for a State construction company, which Ms Bacik said Fianna Fail raised concerns with, and with a public childcare system, to which she said there was “reluctance to engage on that”.
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