SINN FÉIN leader Mary Lou McDonald has revealed she has already been in touch with smaller parties regarding the possibility of forming a coalition, saying that a government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael in power would be the best outcome for Ireland.
Speaking after a stunning election victory in which she topped the poll in Dublin Central with 11,223 votes-- almost double the 6,288 quota-- Ms McDonald confirmed she had been in touch with the Greens, Social Democrats and Solidarity/People Before Profit about what the 33rd Dáil could look like.
After topping the polls and being re-elected in his own consituency, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan was asked if he had been contacted by Ms McDonald, to which he replied that he had missed a call from her, and she had subsequently missed a call from him-- but it is apparent that these talks will soon be underway.
Describing the election results as "historic", Ms McDonald said "there's no doubt the old party system is now gone and over".
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald celebrates a stunning victory (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images).The best thing for Ireland going forward, she said, would be a government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael-- although she said she is willing to speak to both Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin about the possibility of a coalition, as "that's what democracy demands".
Both main parties had previously said they would refuse to go into government with Sinn Féin, and although Mr Varadkar has stuck to his guns in this respect, Mr Martin has indicated he would now be open to it-- with Ms McDonald saying she is glad he has "come to his senses".
"This election was all about change," Mary Lou McDonald told her supporters after Sinn Féin looked set to make historic gains.
"Sinn Féin went to the people and we convinced them in very, very large numbers that we are the alternative, that we are the vehicle for change."
Ms McDonald went on to say that "the political establishment- and by that I mean Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-- are in a state of denial. They are still not listening to what the people have said."
CORK: Sinn Féin's Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Centre, R) celebrates being the first TD elected to the 33rd Dáil, topping the poll ahead of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Confirming that she had approached the smaller parties about a coalition before contacting FF/FG, she said:
"I said it throughout the campaign, and I meant it, that we need change, that we need a new government.
"The best outcome is with a government without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael, so that's the first thing I want to test: whether or not that's possible."
"This is not a transient thing," she continued. "This is just the beginning."
Counting is still underway, but at the time of writing Sinn Féin hold 32 seats, Fianna Fáil hold 19, Fine Gael 17, Green Party 5, Social Democrats 3, Solidarity/People Before Profit 2, Labour 2, Aontú 1, and Independent candidates 9, with 70 seats left.
