Synchronised pressers from both parties as there have been throughout this period. Tonight it reads…
Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have reached a political agreement to facilitate a Fine Gael led minority government. Both party leaders are now being briefed, extensive drafting has to be done and then both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will hold separate parliamentary party meetings to outline the details of the confidence and supply arrangement.
Update: Details suggest the document agreeing a confidence and supply arrangement will guarantee FF does not vote against the next three budgets and will abstain in votes of confidence. Outside this, FF is free to vote against the government on any normal piece of legislation.
And with sufficient support from other opposition parties, FF is free to engineer a government defeat on any piece of legislation it doesn’t like. It also gives the opposition an historic and unique power to initiate and sponsor legislation through to enactment.
Talks will now switch to bringing in a sufficient number of independents to get the government a working majority.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty