A Cabinet Minister has warned his colleagues in Government not to get "too cocky" as rumours of a September election mount.
Independent Alliance Minister Finian McGrath has suggested that his Fine Gael colleagues are now "swaggering around the place" and said the focus needs to be on delivering on policy and not potting for a General Election.
"You would hear those type of discussions in Government, that's part of the reality of a minority Government," he said this morning when asked if Fine Gael were now planning to go to the polls.
"There are differences in opinion in that.
"I would warn some people not to get too cocky or to be swaggering around the place, that's unacceptable, we need to ensure that people have stable Government at a very very busy time in our history."
"People want us to focus on solutions they don't want us to be jumping up and down about elections."
It comes as a rift has developed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as to when the confidence and supply deal should be renegotiated.
Calling for "common sense politics" he said: "We need to focus on why people put us in there, it's a minority government and we have to sit down and hammer out the confidence and supply agreement, I accept that argument.
"The next part of that deal is the Budget, and in the meantime, of course, we should talk to Fianna Fáil."
Finian McGrath says there should be a presidential election this year and has been speaking to a number of potential independent candidates about running #iestaff
— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) July 2, 2018
The Independent Alliance TD added: "What I would say to Micheál Martin and the Taoiseach is let's focus on the confidence and supply agreement, let's focus on the next Budget and if it goes on further that would be great news because it gives more stability in relation to housing, in relation to Brexit and health."
He said he has "an open mind" on when the deal should be renegotiated, but said talks should be ongoing.
"I would be encouraging Fianna Fail to sit down and to work very closely with us over the next couple of weeks let's do it over the summer period, it would be a fantastic time to do it.
"I can understand the Taoiseach's frustration at times and I would be very supportive of the Taoiseach because we want to focus on the real issues."
Mr McGrath added: "There is not a jittery nature in the Independent Alliance.
"We have a lot of work to do: we have to deal with the housing issue, the disability issue, we have to deal with the Brexit issue they are all very important issues as well as health.
"We want to get on and do our job, people are not looking for elections, people are looking for solutions to problems."
