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Labour Party leader Alan Kelly says he does not expect his party to enter a new government coalition.<\/p>\nLabour Party leader Alan Kelly says he does not expect his party to enter a new government coalition.<\/p>\n
The newly-elected leader said the party is not in a position to enter government with Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael.<\/p>\n
He said that while Labour will \u201ctalk to anybody who wants to talk to us\u201d, the focus is on the parties that secured a large number of seats.<\/p>\n
Speaking to RT\u00c9\u2019s Morning Ireland program, Mr Kelly said: \u201cSimply put, there are four large parties, any three of which could form a government. It is up to them to do so.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Green Party got a large mandate of 12 seats, and obviously climate change is the big agenda item once we get over Covid (-19).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s quite disappointing that it seems that they are not willing to put their shoulders to the wheel and stay on the pitch and get involved in this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Government formation talks between Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael are still ongoing, two months after the general election.<\/p>\n
The parties are producing a joint framework document to present to smaller parties and independents, to ask them to join them in government.<\/p>\n
Mr Kelly said, however, that he believes the Labour party will play a \u201chuge part\u201d in shaping Ireland\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the world has changed. I think politics has changed,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing that Keynesian economics is back in fashion.<\/p>\n
“I think the way in which Ireland is going to have to come out of this is going to have to embrace a lot of things that the Labour Party stood for over the last number of years, in relation to housing and childcare, in relation to a one-tier health system, in relation to a rent freeze, which I\u2019ve advocated for many years.”<\/p>\n
Mr Kelly also said that even if Labour added its six seats, there still would not be enough to form a majority government.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt\u2019s my job to ensure we will not be swamped, we will be different and I aspire to doing so, to making us very, very relevant, punching way above our weight into the future, but I also want to say we need a strong opposition into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there is a need for a strong opposition as the Government is going to have to make difficult decisions.<\/p>\n