Former Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has criticised Independent TDs saying they are 'populist almost without exception.' Speaking to Shane Coleman on the Sunday Show he said ' I didn't forsee that, that the Fianna Fail collapse would lead to the splintering and fragmentation of politics that has happened. No disrespect to the dolly mixture of independents that we have in Dail Eireann, trying to get them agree on anything that might find opposition from any section of the community - they would never do it. They are populist almost without exception.'

When it was put to him by Shane that the atmosphere between Fine Gael and Labour has lightened since Joan Burton became leader he said 'The number one job is different from the number two job, you can make mischief in the number two position but you can't do that in the number one position. You can listen back below...