No election in 2019.
A statement from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has confirmed that his party will support the confidence and supply agreement in Leinster House for another year.
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Martin said: “Fianna Fáil is determined that the political chaos we see in London will not be allowed to spread to Ireland.
“We simply do not believe that the national interest could in any way be served by taking up to four months during next year to schedule and hold an election campaign and then form a government.
“This is why Fianna Fáil will extend a guarantee that government will be able to operate throughout 2019. This will allow the introduction of any emergency legislation and budgets, as well as the full end of year Budget and associated legislation. This will in turn allow the holding of an election early in the following year.”
The announcement follows a meeting between Martin and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, held against the backdrop of a chaotic political landscape in the United Kingdom.
On Wednesday, a vote of no confidence was called in Tory leader and Prime Minister Theresa May, and there is uncertainty over whether a withdrawal agreement will be finalised ahead of the Brexit deadline (29 March, 2019).
Martin noted that “Ireland is now in a period of heightened danger for our economy and for a political settlement which has been a beacon of light in our modern history.
“This is not a crisis of our making but it is a crisis which we all have an urgent duty to respond to.”
Ireland’s most recent general election took place in February 2016, and saw no party win an overall majority.
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