Mary Lou McDonald seeks to have public 'in the driver's seat' for Taoiseach decision

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald says the proposition of Fine Gael choosing who the next Taoiseach is amongst themselves would be ‘unacceptable’ and should not be allowed.

The leader of the opposition, Ms McDonald, is calling for a general election to happen now in order to let the Irish public be “in the driver's seat” in terms of deciding who the next leader of the country should be.

“We are four years into this administration and we are on to Taoiseach number three,” she said on RTÉ radio this Thursday morning.

“The appetite for change that was evident in 2020 is still there, it’s alive. 

“I think at this juncture the appropriate and democratic thing to do is go back to the people, put the people in the driving seat and ask them who they believe should be in government and consequently, leader of the country.”

While the appointment of a Taoiseach is approved the Dáil and always has been, Ms McDonald, on behalf of Sinn Féin, has said that in these unforeseen circumstances, the Irish population should be given the opportunity to vote.

The candidacy has opened for those in Fine Gael who wish to put their names forward to succeed Leo Varadkar following his shock exit as Taoiseach. 

So far, Minister Simon Harris has been dubbed the frontrunner for the role and has been publicly backed by members of the party. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has also been touted as a possible successor.

Deputy party leader Simon Coveney, who lost the last leadership contest in 2017, was quick to exit the race for the next Taoiseach, while Minister Helen McEntee has also ruled herself out.

While the Fine Gael term only lasts one more year with a general election naturally occurring in 2025, opposition parties are calling for it to be brought forward. 

Contenders have until the end of next week to get their name into the hat, as Mr Varadkar said a new party leader would be in place ahead of the annual conference (Ard Fheis) on April 6 – paving the way for the new Taoiseach to be formally elected on April 9 -  when the Dáil returns after the Easter recess.