This Government is over, we need a general election now – Harkin

“It is time for a general election. The people must have their say in who is running the country and the direction of travel it should take,” Deputy Marian Harkin said.

Reacting to the announcement by Leo Varadkar TD that he is to resign as leader of Fine Gael and Taoiseach, Ms Harkin said that his successor will be the third Taoiseach since the last election, something that is unprecedented in the history of the State.

“This Government is withering on the vine, it has failed in the face of the housing crisis, it has made a mess of policy and practice in relation to immigration and only ten days ago the people gave it a pummelling when they roundly rejected a pair of ill-conceived attempts to change the constitution,” Ms Harkin said.

Marian Harkin TD is calling for a general election.

“I cannot see, for the life of me, how a new leader of Fine Gael will be able to rescue and refocus this faltering Government and earn the confidence of the people. Everything is against them, including the clock.

“Even a cursory glance ahead at the political landscape will tell you that the chances of a new Taoiseach and a reshuffled government achieving anything of substance are slim to none.  

“If matters follow the course laid out by the Taoiseach,” Deputy Harkin continued, “his successor will come before the Dáil for election on the 9th of April. For the following two months he or she will be consumed by the Local and European Elections. By the time those are over and the ramifications of their results have become clear we will be into the summer recess.

“Once the Dáil returns in September the political system will be in the foothills of a general election. At that stage everything will be geared in that direction, including the shape and make of Budget 2025, which is already being dubbed an election budget.

“Nothing of consequence will be done and we will be forced to watch this out-of-touch administration stumble along on its last legs for another six months of misery.

“The country needs a new government, not just a pressing of the reset button on this current administration.   It is in the gift of any or all of the three coalition parties to cause a general election to happen now. In the name of decency, they should do it,” Ms Harkin concluded.