Minority government deal reached between Ireland's two main parties

Ireland's two main parties, Fine Gael (United Ireland Party) and Fianna Fail (Republican Party), on Friday evening agreed on a minority government deal after weeks of talks.

"Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have reached a political agreement to facilitate a Fine Gael-led minority government," the two parties said in a statement.

"Both party leaders are now being briefed, extensive drafting has to be done and then both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael will hold separate parliamentary party meetings to outline the details of the confidence and supply arrangement," the statement said.

During final talks at Trinity College Dublin, Fianna Fail agreed to support the Fine Gael-led minority government over three budgets and there is broad agreement on a range of fronts, including rent supplement increases and water charges.

Leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin, are expected to talk over the weekend and their respective parliamentary parties will consider the document before the Dail Eireann, lower house of Irish parliament, reconvenes to elect a Taoiseach (prime minister) on Wednesday.

The Dail Eireann has failed to elect a Taoiseach for the third time since the Feb. 26 general election.

In early April, talks were under way between Fine Gael and its main rival Fianna Fail about the formation of a new minority government. The talks came after Fianna Fail rejected Fine Gael's offer of a full partnership government.

A minority government would mean Fine Gael or Fianna Fail would need to secure support from other parties on an issue-by-issue basis in order to get legislation through.

Fine Gael, which has 50 seats in the Dail Eireann, is still the largest party in Ireland in terms of members of parliament. Fianna Fail, having 44 seats, is the second largest party in parliament.

Source: XINHUA