The leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party have agreed upon a programme for government today. Negotiators have been putting the final touches to the deal, 128 days after the General Election was held.
Micheál Martin, Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan met after making “very good progress” in the talks last night. If the deal is passed by the parties’ memberships it would see Micheál Martin serving as Taoiseach until December 2022.
The role would then rotate and Leo Varadkar will become Taoiseach again. It is understood that the draft programme for government will say Budget 2021 will include a medium term road map detailing how Ireland will reduce the deficit and return to a broadly balanced budget.
The proposed taxation measures to close the deficit and fund public services will focus on carbon tax, a sugar tax and levies on plastics.
A statement from Fine Gael today read: ”The leaders have signed off on the draft Programme for Government and it will issue later this afternoon. The respective parliamentary parties will be briefed on the programme this evening.”
