Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has said he would have a problem going into government with Fianna Fáil.

He was responding to a question on the possibility of a Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil coalition during which he was asked about the comment he made in January in a newspaper interview in which he stated: “I don’t have any ideological problem with forming a coalition with Fianna Fáil. There are a lot of good people in Fianna Fáil. I could work with them”.

However, on Monday, Mr Coveney said: “What I said was I don’t have any hangover from Civil War politics. But I do have an issue with going into government with Fianna Fáil.

“I don’t think we need them back in government and I think we have a clear proposition for the people in this election”.

Asked if he would serve in a Cabinet that included Fianna Fáil, Minister Coveney said: “I’m not going to start laying down absolutes because I am not in a position to do it”.

Poll figures have shown a decline in support for the current Coalition partners, again raising the prospect of a Fine Gael- Fianna Fáil deal.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday said he was not “contemplating” a post-election alliance with Fianna Fáil.

But Mr Kenny declined to definitively rule out an arrangement with Fianna Fáil, which has led to raised eyebrows in Labour.

Mr Coveney also said reduction in the overall number of HSE staff could not be ruled out if the executive is abolished as proposed by Fine Gael in its general election manifesto.

The Cork South Central TD said it was his party’s intention to move from the centralised HSE model, which was not working, to a community-based approach under which there would be localised decision-making and a central reporting system.

“When the HSE gets broken up into localised management units, hospital trusts and hospital care here will be a lot of work to do and that process cannot happen overnight,” Mr Coveney said on Newstalk radio.

“I cannot say there will be no reductions in numbers when we abolish the HSE. People have rights in terms of employment and we will respect that”.

Fine Gael was not saying it would abolish the HSE but everybody would keep their jobs, he said.

“What I am saying is that we are, over time, going to phase out the structures that currently make up the HSE.

“We are going to set up a new hospital trust model which we think will work more efficiently. We are going to take on a lot more people in terms of frontline care, more doctors, nurses and consultants”.

On the proposed abolition of the USC charge, Mr Coveney said Fine Gael was the only party that could credibly say it would get rid of the charge because it was the only party, given its record of the last five years of job creation and economic growth, with the resources to do away with a tax the people hate.

“We have been getting rid of it for the last five years, taking nearly 600,000 out of paying USC and we are going to finish the job and take everyone else out,” Mr Coveney said.

“We want to balance that by making sure higher earners do not overly benefit. We will abolish the USC but will introduce a 5 per cent levy on incomes for those earning over €100,000 to make sure everybody benefits”.

On the issue of non-payment of water charges, Mr Coveney said everybody would have to pay.

“If we are to have a fair, efficient water provision system, providing safer water for people, everybody has to make a contribution.”

“The State will have to ensure that those who are paying are not disadvantaged by having to cover the costs for those who won’t pay. Everybody will have to pay their share”.