Tánaiste says future coalition between his party and Sinn Féin a ‘possibility’
“I think it was important that I did become taoiseach,” he said. “At the time people were saying ‘you’re in the middle of Covid, why don’t you wait?’ If you want to become taoiseach it’s not about saying it’s all about when it’s rosy. It’s never rosy. I don’t do politics by cynical calculation.”
Mr Martin acknowledged Sinn Féin’s participation in a standing ovation for him in the Dáil when he handed over the job to Mr Varadkar as “a sign of respect”. He said a coalition between Mary Lou McDonald’s party and Fianna Fáil could not be ruled out. “They didn’t recognise the courts, didn’t recognise the Army, didn’t recognise the gardaí, and so on. They say ‘let’s get them out, let’s get them out’. At the same time they say they will not rule out coalition with either one of us. So which one is it?”