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MARY LOU MCDONALD has said Sinn Féin will “work hard” to win the trust of voters, telling the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis this evening that she wants to form a government “without Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil”.
Addressing the 1,000 delegates gathered in the Technological University of Shannon Campus in Athlone, Westmeath, McDonald also used her speech to call out the action of Israel in recent weeks as “war crimes”.
The Sinn Féin leader also called on the government to “send the Israeli ambassador home” in 0ff-script remarks in her closing speech.
In her address to delegates, McDonald also outlined how housing is her party’s number one priority.
“The stark choice at the next election is between a worsening housing crisis under this government or a new government, led by Sinn Féin that will fix housing, once and for all. I’m asking everyone watching tonight to back Sinn Féin’s ambitious vision for housing,” she said.
McDonald said her party wants to lead an Ireland where “orange and green” is reconciled and where there is “no place for racism, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or sectarianism”.
Appealing to viewers of the televised address, the Sinn Féin leader said:
Ireland is changing and we are ready to lead.
“A new government without Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for the first time in a hundred years. Just imagine that.
“That would be the very best outcome from the General Election. Of course, the people will make that call. It’s your decision. We take nothing for granted. There are no inevitabilities.
“We’ll work hard to win your trust, your support, and your vote to elect enough Sinn Féin TDs to form a government for change,” she said.
“We ask for our chance. The others have had theirs. The longer they remain in power the worse things get. I’m asking you to back Sinn Féin. To back change and the future that you and your family deserve,” said McDonald.
Turning to the Israel-Hamas conflict, she welcomed the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland Jilan Abdalmajid who had addressed the Ard Fheis earlier in the day.
“Israel claims to act in self-defence. Carpet bombing civilians, Collective punishment, massacring children in their thousands is not defence.
“These are not justifiable responses to the horrific attack by Hamas’ on October 7th. The world sees Israeli actions for what they are.
“Barbaric. Hateful. Cowardly. War crimes,” said McDonald.
She said now is “moment of reckoning for world leaders, for the European Union, a test of commitment to human rights, peace, democracy”.
McDonald said Israel cannot be allowed to commit atrocities with impunity, and called on the government to support her party’s motion next week to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court.
There was a standing ovation and applause from the crowd when McDonald called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, stating: “send her home”.
On the issue of housing, she said it is the priority issue, adding that government claims their housing plan is working.
“If this is success, may we never see their failures. They say housing can’t be fixed overnight. They’ve had over a decade. Their record – crisis,” she said.
“We need a new government to bring energy, pace, and the plan to fix housing. Sinn Féin will build genuinely affordable homes, build enough of them, get the targets right, increase capital expenditure.
“Cut rents, giving a month’s rent back to every renter, and ban rent increases for three years. Implement a real emergency response to the scourge of homelessness,” said McDonald.
Making a number of party pledges, she said Sinn Fein will resolve the housing crisis, resource healthcare, provide affordable childcare, invest in higher education, and deliver infrastructure on budget and on time.
McDonald also committed to nurturing Ireland’s flair for enterprise to deliver decent well-paid and secure jobs.
“The right to retire on your pension at sixty-five. That’s what we’re about,” she added.
“We will house our people. We will make healthcare accessible to all. We will win the race against climate change. And friends, in our time, we will unite our country and build a nation home for everyone.
This is the momentous task before us. Let’s make change happen now. Let’s make change happen for everyone,” she concluded.
Will SF fix housing? Well, we know for certain that FF/FG won’t.
Time for change.
@John Ennis: they will fix everything going to be a great country
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: FFG has had 100 yrs to make this crisis.
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: well your cowd have been in power for over 100 years and it’s never been so bad.
@Mary Looners: every measurable stat shows massive increases in rent,homelessness and spoofers like Stephen kearon tell us these tools have the answer,we ain’t as gullible as you mate
@John Ennis: Haha, Sinn Fein and their councillors have objected to numerous residential developments in the past few years. They don’t even support housing as it is. They’re going to screw it all up badly and will be consigned to the electoral scrapheap for another century.
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: there’s a lot to be fixed after years of messers trying to run the County, now you go to bed it’s late
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: well the other 2 have neayhad a hundred years between . So I could work with ten years
@Hugh De Payans: It will be all be be social housing with SF. The right to own private property will become a thing of the past.
@John Ennis: Tooth fairy politics!
@alan scott: Under the not so watchful eyes of Fianna Fail/Fine Gael, generations of young couples are priced out of the property market. You’d almost imagine FFG love cuckoos and want everyone renting.
@Hugh De Payans: as have ff fg and gp, yet people harp on and on about sf objections. The actions of sf in the north are impeded by other political parties. The current crop of politicians of ff fg lp & gp have shown their true colours and attitude to the ordinary man, and sold their souls to multi nationals, eu dictats and developers. This (insert topic) disaster – emergency has been decades in the making and despite people’s best effort cant be laid at the feet of sf just yet.
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: so unlike the parties you support in government you DO accept they have created a housing crisis. Yet they deny that and refuse to implement crisis management. And still you advocate for more of the same government.
@Hugh De Payans: residential properties that were for fffg builder mates so they could charge €2500 per month and the rest for an apartment ,they were building for profit not for people .we need fffg /g out as quick as possible
@John Ennis: Housing is their only credible strategy, cos Eoin O’Broin is the expert on the subject, and anyone can tell you that. But there are a lot more categories involved in running a country. and SF know that their best chance of easing into government is as part of a coalition
@alan scott: definitely voting sf now
@Ian McDonald: anytime O’Brien is on the radio discussing housing he gets toasted. He’s no expert. This evening sf said their number one priority is a United ireland. That’s not where I want my taxes going. It’s at the bottom of my list. As for ‘change’ what change do they offer? Answer is none. Their policies are little different from the current shower. I’ve always voted pbp. But as they are now supporting sf that’s the end of that. Independents seem the only alternative.
@: how the fuuc are you still breathing oxygen
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: I wonder if the huge amount of immigrants into the country has affected that
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: No one could sort fgffgreen mess in less time than it took to create it.
But if they do half a job sorting it, they have my vote.
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: FF & FG haven’t built social housing in anything near the quantity needed since the late eighties – that’s not 10 years – that’s 30 years of incompetence and willful neglect.
First Sinn Fein Taoiseach. First woman Taoiseach. She’ll be our first real celebrity leader. When she goes to The US on March 17th, they’ll be fighting to meet her. Micheal and Leo will hopping. My own feeling about SF is that they deserve one chance. I fear that their ambitions for the country might be hard to cost, but tbh COVID blew all my preconceptions about how our economy works to pieces. Even economists don’t seem to have a very firm grasp of it. All I know is that I’d like to see something different and SF look like the only way that will happen.
@Mary Looners: oh mary. You will get arthritis in your fingers from all you copying and pasting. Let’s hope you have vhi or you’ll be waiting 20 year for an outpatient appt.
@SF Means Sh!t 4 Free: lol you’ll have plenty verbal diarrhoea to put out for a while to come Leo
@brian madden: that’s Stephen skearon your conversing with, ask him why he was thrown out of fianna fail? (and that takes some doing in itself) ask him about the vile views he was spewing on twitter about a dead man? Ask him about the special deal he had with an ex fianna fail minister for “hosting” his website, because all though he loves FF, he needs to get his cut of the pie aswell?
@Mary Looners: Did you get that from the Martin/ Varadkar handbook of responses…or did you think of it all by yourself. When you consider the poster boy of FG..Michael Collins had no problem in the use of violence to achieve independence..Granted it was 26 counties….Ironically FG tried to commerate the Black and Tans /RIC..the same group Collins did his best to exterminate…As for FF like Martin’s memory when he stated there was no bank bailout….FF seem to forget their Republican history..Hypocrisy at it’s best…P.S
The Provos would like to thank FF for their financial contribution to get them started..For a troll Mary ..you should do a bit of research.
@Louis Jacob: oh no not Sinn Fein they will ruin us
@Louis Jacob: Not a chance. Her proposed solutions to problems, the few she has, are laughably unfeasible. She tried to sue the media. Imagine the elected leaders of this country trying to sue the media, the free press? thats like something Trump would do.
If they play their cards right they won’t need either of them. Country is ready for change.
@Dissasociated Follower: Dream on or would you like SF LABOUR People Before Profit & a few Independents oh ye what could go wrong
@Dissasociated Follower: Imagine a country that would be the hardest left wing party in the EU. They will last 6 months before the defence forces mount a coup
@alan scott: Typical Blueshirt talk. Eoin O’Duffy’s apples didn’t fall far from the fascist tree
@alan scott: Tosh.
@alan scott: Seems Democracy only matters to you only if the electorate vote for the political parties that you agree with. F.F when first elected to government …Went into the Dail armed…just in case …The army didn’t mount a coup against FFG/ Greens whose record in government…Crumbling Health service,Housing crisis,Homelessness, Scandal after scandal,A make it up as you go along refugee crisis, Billions taken from the Irish economy and Billions more to be repaid for the gangsterism of the banks and developers facilated by the same political parties…Now if that’s not a reason for a coup.
I work hard,and pay too much in tax already to support dole lifers and lazy public workers.
I’m dreading a Sinn Fein government.
How much more will they take from me?
@Paul: Get back to work paying my dole biotlicker
@Mary Looners: If SF win the G.E. it will mean more investment, better working conditions, homes actually being built and affordable and a health service with a fraction of the wastage in the HSE. You want a well run country that treats people with humanity vote SF, you want what we have right now vote FFG.
@Mary Looners: Do you honestly believe the tripe you talk? Grow up.
@Mary Looners: hi Stephen skearon, have you been allowed back into fianna fail yet?
@Paul: make sure your in work early Monday get that tax paid I need money for smokes
@Mary Looners: FFG investment 101 is to allow every foreign vulture fund to bleed the Irish citizens dry. Any investment by SF would top that model.
@Frank Cauldhame: I reckon you should seek serious help!!
@Paul: Eddie’s Hobbs says they are actually proposing an assets tax that would have serious problems in itself and I’m certainly not going to give them a vote now waste of time as it is working in this country after mortgage/rent is paid without allowances hardly worth the bother in most cases,but unfortunately so many people are so pissed of with the gombeens ffg and cabbage green head in power and they’re clearly absolute stupid unplanned or forward thinking decision making that we could be heading into the frying pan altogether if sinn fein get in can’t keep taxing people working who are almost in in line with those who are unemployed cost of living wise
As I said before when you and your partner work full time and are both up skilled. And still can’t manage to save a few euro for a house for the future. Can’t go on a summer holiday can’t afford a night out . There’s something really wrong. I will be voteing SF and many people I know will.
Out with the lot of them FG and there buddys FF and greens have ruined the country.
@The boot: The absolute state of your spelling, grammar and punctuation. Typical Sinn Fein supporter.
@Hugh De Payans: yes, yes, fix the punctuation and you’ll fix everything.
Lol.
@Hugh De Payans: wow. You are showing your true colours.
@jiminybillybob: Strawman alert.
@The boot: Partner? what the hell does that mean? Boyfriend, girlfriend? what are you on about?
@Hugh De Payans: Class bigotry is no different to anti-semitism, racism or any other form of bigotry. They’re all embraced by people who delude themselves that they are superior to another group of people.
Sf deserve a chance in my opinion. The boys in now don’t give a hoot as they know sf are in next so they are creating as much of a mess as they can for sf to try clean up.
Sinn Fein opposing violence in Gaza. Sinn Fein opposing violence…haha
@Hugh De Payans: unfortunately violence got us our independence from the colonial power that oppressed us for 800 years, unfortunately peaceful protests in NI resulted in 13 innocents being killed and blamed for decades, and the list goes on. No right minded person wants violence, but unfortunately there are times when there are no other options
@Marie Agnew: There are no other options? No other options than murdering and maiming innocent civilians? That’s a fairly despicable and disgusting comment but all too familiar for Sein Fein supporters.
@Hugh De Payans: Exactly, Warrington, Omagh, Hyde Park spring to mind. Not surprised Sinn Fein support Hamas.
@Sean Walsh: what about Dublin Monaghan and Derry did you forgot them?
@Hugh De Payans: but of course the Brits didn’t murder anyone?
@Hugh De Payans: Oppressed people have a right to revolt or are you against the French Revolution too Hugh de Payans?
A left of centre government with a understanding how the market works , and has the courage to channel as much of the profits generated, to benefit of the country rather then individuals
@Robert Halvey: Haha Sinn Fein are economically impotent. Any time they’ve stated how much money they would invest in housing, health and social welfare…
..have been blown completely out of the water. When they get into power ….just watch it all unravel. It’s going to be truly spectacular.
@Robert Halvey: Oh no. It’s the woke, marxist, paedophile agenda. Run away!!!
@Robert Halvey: the first sentence is a contradiction in terms. The second part of your comment really means tax the productive (workers, bussiness) and give to the unproductive (life dolers and the public sector)
Good woman Mary keep them tramps out
Housing is a crock of dodo everywhere but let’s look at the facts
1. Fastest growing economy in Europe
2. High gdp gnp growth
3. Unemployment at very low levels
4. Standard of living unthinkable now from what we experienced in the 80s
Do you really think a party who say they will raise corporation taxes and taxes on middle class will make this better? Tax revenues will drop making housing implementation drop further.
Change is great but look at the facts
FF crashed the economy not in the 1980s but in 2008. Fg and Labour ensured that the most deprived were the hardest hit whilst on the path to so called recovery. Hospitals a mess, housing a mess, cronies looked after. The country is in debt to its eyeballs.
@brian madden: I’m not defending ff/fg nor a supporter, but housing and health care are faring equally bad in comparable countries. Structural and legal issues abound. No government set local council planning regulations. You can chuck money at housing but you can’t at planners. We are doing incredibly well for a back water country. Turn that frown upside down
@brian madden: You seem to forget all of Europe was in recession. Nothing could have prevented that.
@: Only for those in high-earning jobs or old enough to have gotten onto the property market before it went crazy. Not the case for the average wage earners even when married couples both work full-time.
The unemployment figures are low because the government doesn’t pay unemployment to anyone who is married to someone who is working and earning €40k a year.
There are a lot of people not working and not counted in the official figures.
Will Mary Lou al-Dublini be inviting over any more of our congenial desert brethren? Personally, I can’t get enough of this cultural enrichment – Tiocfaidh ár Allah!
@Antóin Ó Cumamothóin: Don’t sweat it
Anthony. You’ll fine.
Mary Lou Mohammed. When her friends start blowing themselves up on buses and in restaurants in places like Galway and Limerick in the name of Allah, , she still won’t criticise them. P.S. I hope they security checked the “Palestinian ambassador “ in case she was wearing a suicide vest.
You’ll get young voters but older guys like me, well , let’s just hope the voting age drops to 16 and over. Because I lived through the troubles and would never vote for you.
@T Hanrahan: We know. The boomers are alright, Jack. No surprise you’ll be voting for more of the same
@T Hanrahan: the 16 year olds don’t know their own gender nevermind vote in a GE that will affect us all. They are far too young to understand the consequences of their actions. We adults have made plenty of them.
The last thing that this country needs is the IRA party in power, they will open the door to all their international terrorist buddies to come here and start their training, Ireland will be a dangerous place to live and work.
@Colm Mcmahon: on this weeks episode of paranoid delusions
@Colm Mcmahon: The Middle East of Europe
Must say SF are governing brilliantly in Norhern Ireland, much bigger homeless problem than the Republic, worst health care in the UK, longest NHS waiting lists, practically zero social housing being built
Absolutely can’t not wait to vote Sinn Fein
@Wayne Shoes: Why?
@Wayne Shoes: I can’t wait not to vote for them!
The current ff/fg system of having both parents out of the home in order to feed the corporatist monster economy that has an insatiable appetite for interminable growth has had massive negative consequences on a generation of children who have been raised by businesses. This adherence to commercializing childhood is of huge detriment to our society. This is one reason I’ll be voting left.
@Dissasociated Follower:
The notion that we will ever go back to a situation where most families can live on one income with Mammy at home minding the kids is just dreaming, just as delusional as Eamon de Valera and his maidens dancing at the crossroads.
Blame equal education if you want to but it’s never happening.
What has happened to my country
@John Kenny: People are too well off and very uninformed. Most people under 40 dont know what real hardship is. They’re also completely ignorant of history, economics, and what life is like for most people in the world (many of them in states run by the likes of SF). People also confuse what’s ideal and what’s possible. Free houses for all, infinite goodies that somebody else pays for etc. It’s an old game and never works.
Sinn Fein have made a lot of very expensive promises.
How will they pay for all that?
@Nestor: The taxpayer of course
Hello! Mary lou goodbye Leo .Hello Michelle goodbye Geoffrey.
@Willie Marty : Dowdall?
Lol, she isn’t even in charge of her party. Only thing they do well is hide their past.
Any politican or party who believes gay men have vag!nas and lesbians have p3n!ses won’t get my vote. We didn’t fight long and hard for homosexuality to be decriminalised for them to turn around and tell us we need to accept members of the opposite sex into our groups.
@Sean Ryan: Lol. Tell me you’re trolling.
@Louis Jacob: fr there’s a split in the LGBT movement. old timers are fuming with what they see as opportunistic greenhorn trans having their pie and eating it. Or not eating it. Something like that. I’m lost myself
@Louis Jacob: I agree with Sean. There has never been more division amongst that community, and as much turning on each other. A lesbian told shes transphobic for not wanting to sleep with trans women; demonized and shunned from her own community for her own preferences.
@Pauline Gallagher: Yes, this is what’s happening unfortunately.
Will sinn fein abolish the special criminal court if they get into power?
@Eamon:
That is possible, but lots of people have supported that.
I would be much more concerned about their economic policies!
Populism at its best all words and if they don’t like you they sue you and taking all this from Putin’s play book
Every party deserves a chance to put policies to the people and have them enacted as government and no doubt SF will be the party in government next time…but those policies and spending criteria will have to meet the EU approval…so many parties make promises as a vote catcher…but red tape within the department and the ministers will always Clash.
@Paul Maguire:
Don’t be talking about realities here.
Fix Dublin at least,parts of dublin city have become slums, especially inner city,hardly a dub in the areas themselves,tourists aren’t coming to see Dublin anymore more like some Dublin surroundings and every other population in it.It has nothing to do with racism before some dingbat tries to turn it into that,other people I know from other counties including Galway have said it to me that it’s awful now as I’m from Dublin that it has become something different altogether and wouldn’t visit it again.Shame to see it gone the way it is towns overcrowded insufficient housing and facilities well done ffg sure keep overloading it anyway damage is done it’s all the one now .
@Paddy C: yeah it’s a shame Dublin City was the centre of European culture during the 80s and 90s wasn’t it
@Martin Mongan: sad to see the way it’s gone not the Dublin I grew up in haven’t lived there for 17 years but got some shock when I seen the way the city is now and hearing it from others who visited from other counties confirms said same terrible shame cultures gone out of it now.
A stomach churning human being, her and her groupies. I have very little faith in many of the turdish ones in the government right now, but these people? SF? If Mary Lou comes out in public and demands that the ‘Palestinian’ ambassador demands that Hamas and all of Hamas supporters leave the Gaza right now, lay down their arms and surrender, and release ALL hostages and then she says the very same thing herself, and engages in a positive dialogue with the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, then I will 100% give my nearest SF rep a vote, absolutely guaranteed.
@Chris Thaunton:
It is time for peace, and time to save those premature babies dying in al Quds hospital!
@Nestor: Yep, as soon as all hostages are released and Hamas and all their supporters lay down their weapons and unconditionally surrender, the rest of the terror $cum should do the same.
@Chris Thaunton:
Agreed.
Israel should release all Palestinian prisoners (hostages), and let the Palestinians live in peace.
@Nestor: Yes they should, so long as they are not terrorists or supporters of terrorists, which could be hard as very many people in the mid east support anyone who wants to eliminate je ws from the face of the earth.
Give SF enough rope and they will sue you for giving them the rope
Hello Mary Lou
Goodbye smarts
Tweet Mary Lou
I’m not a fan of you
I knew Mary Lou
We’d fall apart
So hello Mary Lou
Goodbye smarts.
I think Mary Lou McDonald deserves to be our nation’s first ‘She-oiseach’ because she has a powerful jaw and always wears those smart, colouredy suits.
@Tríona Commode: Nobody ‘deserves’ anything in this world, especially because they are a ‘she’.
So they will go into government with the Green Party.
The Devil you know is better than the Devil you don’t know..
Do you get a free shooter if you vote sf?
No thanks, I dont vote for terrorists.
If they go anywhere near the Greens, FF or FG they will never get into government again.
It’s much more important that they don’t bring the greens tax party back in.
@did you every wonder:
It will either be FF or a group of other parties, including the Greens.
Take your pick.
If they go into coalition with any of the current muppets, SF will if lost the election.
Eddie Hobbs has stated that sinn fein are talking of an assets tax 1% of overall assets sounds bizarre and unrealistic but seemingly they’re serious about it and it’s mostly being kept underwraps for now,if so most will transfer funds out of the country that would certainly do wonders but one thing I’m afraid of is the fact that our tick Irish government has a habit of making decisions without fully thinking of consequences or even considering them at least as it doesn’t rarely ever effect those in the dail of course so why bother
We could do with another strong conservative party like the PD’s.
Less loopy LEFTards and parties which ‘aren’t’ terrorist sympathisers but might know how to contact them..
Fortunately there are many folks throughout the country who are centrist / conservative and who will still support FG / FF and really can’t stomach the empty promises of SF.
No, I will not be giving them a chance.
Stop the crying.Sinn Fein will be in government,Get over it .I love to see the crying in here tho lol
Without competition it’s the same old same old.
I never thought I would vote for Sinn Fein but FF and FG have sold the country out to oligarchs for peanuts. The youth of today have little or no chance of owning their own home. The housing market was opened up to international speculation at the expense of our own children and grandchildren.
have your say