Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party will today begin selling their programme for government to their party memberships.

The parliamentary parties of all three parties accepted the plan last night.

There was strong support for the deal among Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil representatives, with some dissenting voices, while four Green representatives abstained on the vote.

Fianna Fáil representatives were heavily in favour of the document, with even expected opponents John McGuinness and Eamon Ó Cuiv not entirely dismissing its contents.

Fianna Fail Leader Micheál Martin speaking to the media after the Parliamentary Party Meeting in the convention centre, Dublin, 15-06-2020. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Speaking last night, party leader Micheál Martin said he never expected to be advocating for a partnership with Fine Gael.

“Politics is always full of surprises and one can never predict with certainty as to the future in politics,” he said. “Events come and issues arise.

“But what I have always been very consistent about is that in the aftermath of a General Election, there is an obligation on members of Dáil Éireann to work to put a coherent, sustainable government together.”

Fine Gael’s representatives were largely in favour – with Agriculture Minister Micheal Ring a notable exception.

Opposing the plan, he noted that both Micheál Martin and Eamon Ryan were in the government that let in the Troika.

Leo Varadkar TD wearing a face mask at the launch of a new face covering campaign, 15-06-2020. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar rejected claims the programme for government was kicking cans down the road.

He said not everything could be planned in detail in just five weeks of negotiating.

“I know what the cynics will say,” he said. “You read through the document, there are citizens assemblies, there are commissions, there are all-party committees, this is a recipe for indecision.

“I would say look back at our political history over the past ten years. We had a constitutional convention and that led to big changes like the marriage equality referendum; we had citizens’ assemblies and that led to big changes like the referendum to repeal the Eighth.

The four Green Party members that abstained on the vote included negotiator Neasa Hourigan and TD Francis Noel Duffy, the husband of deputy party leader Catherine Martin.

In a statement last night, Deputy Martin said she was backing the deal despite not getting everything she wanted.

The three parties have different methods for balloting their members – and all three are expected to announce results on Friday week.