What Pat Actually Said

Posted on January 15, 2007 at 03:39 PM

Regarding the story in today's Irish Independent, the following is the text of the questions submitted by the Irish Independent to the Party Leader last Tuesday (9 January) and the replies submitted by him on the same day.

Questions submitted from Irish Independent

1) Will Pat Rabbitte recommend to a Labour special conference after the next election that the party should enter coalition with Fianna Fail if no Rainbow alternative is available?

2) Would he not have an obligation to do so, in the national interest, if the likely outcome otherwise was an early general election?

3) In the event of a Labour special conference endorsing coalition with FF, will Mr Rabbitte resign as leader?

3a) Would Mr Rabbitte served as a Minister in such a Government in the circumstances outline in Q. 3?

Replies from Pat Rabbitte TD to the questions submitted by the Irish Independent

1. I believe that when people come to focus on electing a Government an alternative to Fianna Fail and the PDs will be elected. As I have repeatedly said, I have no intention of convening a Special Conference to recommend going into government with Fianna Fail.

2. Of course I will take into account the national interest as Labour has always done. It is the very nature of politics that there can be disagreement on what constitutes the national interest at any particular juncture. It is my conviction that the national interest is best served at this time by replacing Fianna Fail and the PDs in government.

3. As the Party constitution provides, a proposal to enter government can only be put to a Special Conference by me as Party Leader and I have set out my position at (1) above.

4. This does not arise.

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