Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald is urging voters who want a change of government to vote for her party in the upcoming general election – but has stressed that she is willing to speak with any other group to form a coalition.
Though insisting that Sinn Féin’s main priority was to win the election, McDonald believes she would be “insulting” the public if she were to rule out speaking to any party after the election.
The party leader was speaking to media outside government buildings in Dublin shortly after Taoiseach Simon Harris called a general election for 29 November. McDonald said her party was ready and were seeking to oust the incumbent government.
“We face into this campaign with spirit, with confidence and with a clear message: After 100 years of Fianna-Fáil-and-Fine-Gael-led governments, vote Sinn Fein to change the government,” she said.
"If Sinn Féin wins, you win"
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) November 8, 2024
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald appeals to the public to vote for her party in the general election #GE2024 pic.twitter.com/J0S5aq5ORq
While a coalition between Sinn Féin and Fine Gael is seen as politically impractical, there are some suggestions the leading opposition party could form a government with Fianna Fáil over its similar social stances and positions on a united Ireland.
However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin today categorically ruled out a coalition with Sinn Féin over its economic policy proposals – claiming that the party ‘don’t get’ Ireland’s economic model.
McDonald said that the “ideal” outcome for Sinn Féin would be that all of its 71 candidates get elected and that a government is formed without Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
When challenged on whether that meant she was ruling out a coalition with either party, McDonald insisted that she was “willing to speak with everyone” about forming a government after the election.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil similarly ruled out forming a coalition with Sinn Féin before the previous election in 2020. Today, McDonald said she found that was “insulting” to the public.
“I remember after the last election, people were turning up their noses and saying they wouldn’t speak [to us],” McDonald said. “Apparently, we weren’t good enough, according to them, for people to come and talk to us.
“That landed really badly with the hundreds of thousands of people who voted for Sinn Féin – so I’m not going to insult the citizens and voters by taking a position like that.”
Sinn Féin has been in deep controversy in recent weeks following a number of crisis which were revealed either by the party or the media after months of the party underperforming the polls.
The party has also lost a strong portion of its base in working class communities as voters either disagreed or were detached from its stances on immigration, the economy and the Family and Care referendums earlier this year.
McDonald said she believed that voting for Sinn Féin was the “best chance, in fact I believe, [the] only chance” for voters from working class communities, who may be facing homelessness or contemplating emigrating, to change their situations.
“Did we, at times, make mistakes along the way? Yes, we did – and we got called out on that, as you know, by our by our working class space and that’s fair enough.”
Asked what McDonald would view as a particular mistake, she said it was her party supporting a YesYes vote in the most recent referendums.
She added: “In our case, lessons were learned. We work extremely hard for our communities. Sinn Féin is your option if you want to change the government.
“And the big issue for working people and communities is, can you afford another five years of a Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil-led government? I would say – very strongly – regular people, working class communities, all communities and young people simply can’t.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Housing – An absolute shambles,
Health – An absolute shambles,
Asylum seeker handling crisis – An absolute shambles,
Our crime and justice system – An absolute shambles,
Folks, this election is your one chance to vote out FFG. Literally any other party. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. FFG are creating a demographic timebomb because our youth are either emigrating or unable to afford a home, nevermind start a family. Vote ANYBODY but FFG next election.
@Sean Stevenson: aren’t Fianna Fail in power too?
@Dere: FFG….my bad.
@Dere: Haha, just lumping them in together at this point. There’s little if anything to differentiate them at the dail level (there are however differences in their EU candidates, like parliament groups) but for the most part they’re two cheeks of the same arse.
@Sean Stevenson: two cheeks of the same arse
@Sean Stevenson: Bring on SF, what can go wrong?
@Dere: owning your fuxk up.
Well done son
@If you’re: Why do you default to SF? Typical droning on of a gombeen FFG’er. Left wing? Vote social democracts or labour. Right wing? Vote aontu or one of the many new right wing parties. ANYBODY BUT FFG.
@Sean Stevenson: Aontú are not right wing. Considering unborn foetuses of a certain age to be imbued with some inalienable rights doesn’t make somebody right wing dude. I mightn’t agree but their position is sincerely held, which I can respect. Aontú stood up for what was right during COVID and the recent referendum when ALL other parties were singing of the same hymn sheet. They’re pro working class and have a strong understanding of the north. They’re definitely getting a vote from me this time
@Darth O’Leary: well you are wasting your vote on a bunch of nutters
2023 march a referral to mater private oncology ,she got appointment 9 Dec 2023 ,
GP told us it may takes 7 months to start treatment, so she went Netherlands Cancer Institute on Oct 2023 paid 37 k. from her savings plus my help, told us she must go surgery immediately removal thyroidectomy, cuz she was too late to be referred radiation on January24, died on April 24 from metastatic (spread of the cancer to the bone)
She is my mother and am not blaming any one , I blame my self for trusting scam system.
@sakk sa: sorry to hear that Sakk. It should never have happened. But it is 100% not your fault. You done what you could. We are supposed to have faith in our system. Many others would do exactly what you have done.
Your mam would be grateful for your efforts.
@sakk sa: it tool 7 months for an appointment for mater PRIVATE?
@sakk sa: I ask because the ma went into cardiac failure in October. 15 plus years on top level vhi since she was widowed. And they have been utterly useless. In fact whenever we mention vhi in a public hospital eyes glaze over. It’s bizarre.
@lastfewchocices: oncologist yes cause it was a cancer at thyroid gland , and no specialist,
Cardiologist is may be shorter and I advice you to ask cardiology dept. Secretary, they know who and how long the waiting list .
I wish to your mam all the best, but you beside that have to have contingency plan.
@lastfewchocices: yes
@sakk sa: I’m sorry for your loss. The system is very broken. I feel like the elderly just get lip service. The very generation who dragged Ireland along to where it is. It’s disappointing.
@sakk sa: so sorry for your loss,so completely needless,I have metastatic cancer and I am half way in my chemotherapy treatment,I was diagnosed on the 5th June and started treatment on the 28th of June .
And I am a public patient.
But the system is not the same in the whole country.
@sean weir: praying for you to full speedy recovery , wish you healthy long life, keep strong, drink plenty of water , cut sugar or any sweets please , this some advices I got during my mam treatment journey
@sakk Shocking, we have had similar experience, sorry to hear your story. It’s very frustrating when you work hard, pay your Taxes & contribute to society & community & you watch the way our politicians fail us over & over again. The anger in our community is growing rapidly amongst the people who normally get on with things, everyone has had enough, the lid will blow off the place some day soon. Society has become very divided as well in Ireland, we are heading same way as France. Hard to understand why our political class forgot the bread & butter issues & shat on those who get up for work every day.
@lastfewchocices: because having VHI in a public hospital waste of time and money. Contrary to popular belief, having private insurance makes no difference when dealing with public system
Michael and Simon seem to spend all their time commenting on things outside of our control, Israel, Russia, etc. Yes its right to let the world know Irelands view, but once is a enough and then tackle things, they can change directly. Housing, health, etc. in Ireland. This should be their first priority.
Ireland is a kip .
Third world country
Harris running around the country talking gibberish. He’s like the duracell bunny but for all the wrong reasons. He’s a pro at talking but saying nothing. All bluster. Can people not see what he is at? He’s about to call an election hence the flying around the country with his false charm trying to buy votes. I know this is ‘politics’ but enough his enough. This article’s headline is another disgraceful indicticment on this wholly incompetent government.
And yet you’ll hear our leaders talk more about the plight of the Gazans, the Ukrainians, the aliens on Saturn and the starfish in the Atlantic – they are bothered by everyone’s plight except their own who wait on trollies and years for basic treatment
Some people think ffg are doing a great job running the country considering the results of the recent local elections
@James Moylan: the level of intelligence of the average Irish person isn’t too high.
I worked with a lad from Monaghan for years, he used to joke the only decent outcome Monaghan people ever got with a past or present Minister for Health was when they threw rocks at Rory O’Hanlon.
He hated every single one of them, especially O’Hanlon and Reilly. Apparently as bad as the health service has been run by FFG, they went to town on Monaghan.
The useless politician are just moving the goal post. They focus on non issue like Israel defending itself but refuse to tackle local issues, such as the lack of schools, the lack of hospitals, the lack of proper healthcare, the lack of public transport, the lack of amenities.
The HSE isn’t even a funding issue since they have tons of money, they simply need to get rid of useless management who funnel all this money to themselves. They should put a mandatory service for the Irish nurse and doctor like they do in other countries. A free nursing school but 5 years working in public hospital.
@Alex: i thought the exact same thing…anyone who wants to be a doctor or nurse the gov pays for their courses and in return do a service for a number of years paid of course that they fully qualify
Government are the problem
24 billion well spent sure, no doubt the fat cats hse board will come begging for more millions to help correct these issues. Time for a serious financial audit of the HSE and before anyone starts with the whole oh the big bad unions, believe me they wont exactly be sad if the top dogs on massive 5 and 6 figure salaries got the door for being the utterly useless drains……people complain about those on social welfare being a drain on the taxpayers, these overpaid and unworked gimps in these state and semi state quangos are worse
@Tom Newell: Privatise, twice the work with half the staff. If you don’t like it off you go. Abolish permanent and pensionable jobs unless you can prove yourself, relavent.
@Tom Newell: 24 billion from the tax payer you mean ,plus what is put in from the insurance companies, nobody knows where the money goes ,their finances are a in a complete mess
Get in a few bus loads of Cuban doctors and broaden the labour pool overnight. I’ve seen it happen in other sectors. Brings wages down overnight too which is great as we all know
@Darth O’Leary: you do know that half the frontline staff are not Irish
@sean weir: Let’s quadruple that figure I’m saying. Who could possibly object?
Altogether now
“Anyone who had a heart…..
Harris running around commenting on everything so as to be in every news feed, the latest the Kennedy Summer School event, where he described himself as a Disruptor. He is certainly not a doer, as he runs around promising everything & delivering nothing, ask the Children & families dealing with Scoliosis about Harris’s promises. Disruptor my hole, Waffler would be more accurate. He has no time for anyone who says we are a failed State, but this week we hit another record figure of Irish children being homeless, our Health Service is in tatters as this article shows & this guy doesn’t think we are a failed State, easy to say when he denies everything that’s happening under his appalling watch
have your say