Humphreys says FG ready for election

Minister Heather Humphreys this morning came out fighting as the country looks poised for a general election over the Tánaiste email controversy.

The Monaghan politician stood by the Tánaiste insisting she did nothing wrong. She further called on Fianna Fáil to back down on the issue, but stressed that if an election results: Fine Gael are ready.

The Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil confidence and supply agreement ruptured over an email Minister Fitzgerald, then Minister for Justice, received in May 2015 concerning the strategy to be pursued by the legal team for then Garda Commissioner, Noirin O’Sullivan against whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe at the O'Higgins inquiry. Ms Fitzgerald said she did not recall reading the email.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has urged Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to dismiss Minister Frances Fitzgerald from the cabinet, to avoid an election. The Taoiseach however reportedly told an emergency meeting of Fine Gael deputies and senators in Leinster House last night he was standing by the Tánaiste, and would not allow her to be "thrown under the bus".

At the launch of a Vodafone/Siro broadband initiative at Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre this morning, Minister Humphreys rejected the opposition parties' claims against the Tánaiste.

“We are 100% behind Minister Fitzgerald,” insisted Minister Humphreys. “She has acted appropriately, she acted correctly. What we are looking at here is an email sent two and a half years ago. It very clearly stated in that [email] she could not legally act upon it. She has since got advice from the attorney general to say she should not have acted. The opposition are saying on one hand she should have acted, then on the other hand they are saying that if she acted she acted against the law.”

Minister Humphreys however stressed her party is ready to contest an election.

“When an election comes we are going to be ready for it, there is no doubt about that. If it does happen I would ask Fianna Fáil to draw back on this. The decision is in their hands. We have full confidence in our Minister. She has done nothing wrong. I think that is the most important thing: she has done nothing wrong. Why should a woman have to vacate her position when she knows in her heart and soul that she has done nothing wrong?”

Deputy Martin's move came after Sinn Féin tabled a motion of no confidence against the Justice Minister on Thursday; Fianna Fáil followed up with their own no confidence motion.

The Irish Times has reported that senior government figures are considering of holding a general election on Friday, December 15. However that date would coincide with an EU summit, which will decide if Brexit talks should proceed to the next phase.

If an election does result, Fine Gael will go on the hustings with a leader who only took over the helm on June 2, while Sinn Féin are in the midst of transition at the top, with Deputy Mary Lou McDonald expected to become the next party president.