Micheál Martin indicates Fianna Fáil wants to keep housing in next government

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has indicated that he wants his party to keep the housing portfolio in any future coalition with Fine Gael. Despite saying that he was not going to discuss "every portfolio we want," when asked by the Irish Mirror if he would be happy to give housing up, he said, "No. Not at all.

" The party’s manifesto pledges that if it is re-elected, it will ramp up construction capacity to 60,000 homes per year by 2030. It has also said it will "protect and extend" the Help to Buy scheme until 2030 and expand the First Home "Bridge the Gap" Scheme to include first-time buyers buying second-hand homes. READ MORE: Row breaks out between Fianna Fail's Jim O'Callaghan and Fine Gael's Helen McEntee READ MORE: Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin promises Child Benefit boost and free GP care for under 12s Former Fine Gael housing minister Eoghan Murphy published a book reflecting on his tenure earlier this month.



In the book, he suggested he was blocked from implementing some of the proposals and plans he wanted to introduce by ex-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Paschal Donohoe and former attorney general Seamus Woulfe. In an interview with the Business Post this week, Mr Murphy said that "Fine Gael didn’t make housing priority number one" because "we didn’t want to". In an interview with the Irish Mirror, Mr Martin said Mr Murphy’s comments were "concerning".

The Irish Mirror questioned whether he would trust Fine Gael to take back the housing portfolio if they were to re-enter Government together in light of Mr Murphy’s comments. "If you have to sign up with anyone for a programme, the programme for government has to be explicit," Mr Martin said. "Explicit in terms of housing action and housing policy.

That’s the basis upon which we’d only go into Government." The Irish Mirror asked the Tánaiste if he would be "happy to give it up" after putting Fianna Fáil TD Darragh O’Brien in the position for four-and-a-half years. He said: "No.

Not at all. I’m not saying that. "Look, I’m not going to go into every portfolio we want.

But we have the housing portfolio. We've made a difference in the housing portfolio. "We want to continue to make a difference in housing.

" Mr Martin said he gets on "OK" with Fine Gael leader Simon Harris , but it is "early days yet". "He came in the eleventh hour, so to speak, of this Government," he continued. "Leo’s retirement was a shock.

For Simon’s time as Taoiseach, in many respects, it was the end of the government and we were heading into an electoral cycle. "I think that probably shaped a lot of what happened over the last couple of months." He added: "I think we have the capacity to get on.

We're concentrating on maximising our vote and our seats. "That’s what Fianna Fáil wants to do. We want to lead the next government.

" The Irish Mirror told Mr Martin that before entering government with Fine Gael in 2020, he ruled out a "grand coalition". It was mentioned to him that some people are saying they believe he could also reverse his commitment not to enter government with Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald . He questioned if "other parties" suggested this, branding it an "intriguing question".

The Tánaiste said that he did not talk to Sinn Féin in 2020 and Fianna Fáil members are saying "loud and clear" they do not want to enter government with them due to concerns about their housing policy and views on Europe. He added: "It’s interesting someone is trying to sow doubt". Read all the latest headlines and breaking news on our homepage .

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