The Fianna Fáil leader has rejected claims that a general election in the coming months could jeopardise Ireland’s position in Brexit talks.

Micheál Martin opened the Fianna Fáil think-in in Dublin today after holding a number of discussions in Brussels and the UK last week.

He said he was now confident that a Withdrawal Treaty would be agreed between the EU and the UK – and insisted there was no reason to fear a Government change in Ireland while the talks are continuing.

“I can confirm in various discussions which I held last week in Brussels and the UK nobody whatsoever raised the issue of whether the Irish government had a mandate to complete Brexit negotiations,” he said.

“The only people promoting the idea of uncertainty have been the Taoiseach and his ministers. 

“This is a transparent and cynical political game which will do them no good.”

Brexit

He was speaking after both the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe warned that any uncertainty over the stability of the Government would weaken Ireland's hand as Brexit talks enter their final phase.

Deputy Martin said he used his meeting with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier to confirm that there is a “broad political consensus in Ireland in favour of Northern Ireland remaining in the single market and customs union.”

He echoed Mr Barnier’s call for the backstop solution to the Irish border issue to be “de-dramatised” and - in a thinly-veiled reference to the DUP - said he hoped the Government does not “miss opportunities due to the poor relations which it has with key players.”

“We will continue to support the best possible deal but are not going to allow our government escape proper accountability,” he said.

Housing

The Fianna Fáil leader warned that the coming months will be crucial not only for Brexit – but also for health, housing and the economy.

He said the current housing and homeless crisis was “not inevitable and it can be overcome” and claimed “Fine Gael’s ideological preference for avoiding direct state intervention delayed essential action” on the crisis.

"In each of the past five years the government has defended itself saying 'there is no overnight solution,'" he said.

"In fact it is 1,379 nights since a Fine Gael minister first said of the housing crisis 'There are no simple, quick-fix solutions that can be implemented overnight.'

He said Fianna Fáil would be calling for action on housing in the budget – and urged the Government to “turn away from managing PR and towards managing delivery.”

Health

On health, he claimed that the “worst of the pressures” on Ireland’s hospitals are “directly linked to ministerial decisions which stopped effective programmes or diverted funding into other areas.”

"After years of talking-up dramatic reforms like compulsory insurance, the government’s main priority has become trying to make the public believe that nothing can be done," he said.

“With the right resources and the right priorities a major impact could be made on waiting lists and growing pressures in health services in the community."

Economy

Turning to the economy, he said there is “no denying the rising threat of a potential international downturn.”

“We are quite surprised by the fact that Fine Gael is talking about fiscal prudence at the same time as distributing a long and uncosted set of spending promises and tax giveaways for the next two years,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter how often they try to claim the mantle of managing the economy - the reality is that we have a dynamic private sector but no clarity or direction on overall budget policy.”

He said Fianna Fáil would pursue all four challenges in its talks with Fine Gael – with any talks on an extension to the confidence and supply arrangement to take a back seat until the budget is agreed and announced.