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.
GE2024COMPROMISESTHE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS want to go into government, party leader Holly Cairns said today.
“I don’t know how I can be any clearer. I’m telling you we we want to go into government. Like I said, this feels like this election is the opportunity for the Social Democrats to turn our policies into a reality for communities,” she told reporters in Dublin this afternoon.
Setting out her party’s stall and launching its campaign today, she said the government parties are looking to who might be a future coalition partner.
There has been speculation of late that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would find the Labour Party palatable.
“I have heard the talk recently, in the last few days about the current government parties are eyeing up their coalition partners and maybe favouring some over others. But I think that they know we would drive a hard bargain.
“I’m glad that they do know that, they’re absolutely right. We would take a different approach to them. We wouldn’t go into government to make up the numbers. We’d go into government to make a difference, and I’m glad that they need to recognise that.
“Now we’re asking people out there to give us the strongest possible mandate to drive that hard bargain,” she said.
Cairns has already previously stated that having a standalone Minister for Disability in the next government would be a red line for her and her party.
Speaking yesterday, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said continuing and expanding on the Help-to-Buy grant and the First Home Scheme would be a red line for him.
Simon Harris says they won’t go into government with a party that wants to ‘pull the rug’ from under first-time buyers.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 11, 2024
He confirms the Help to Buy and First Home scheme will be expanded if they’re in government again.
Some opposition parties will be interested in that one. pic.twitter.com/agiIGNEU7b
While Cairns said she did not agree that the two schemes are the way to go in the years ahead, she did not categorically state that she could not enter into a government where such schemes would continue.
The Journal asked the Social Democrats leader if she could concede on keeping those two schemes in place if she could get other manifesto items over the line.
She replied that the deal breaker for her party, in terms of housing, would be the delivery of 50,000 affordable purchase homes.
“We know that there’s compromises in negotiations… We want people to know that this is the thing that will be the deal breaker for us,” she said.
The Social Democrats wants the 50,000 affordable purchase homes delivered over the lifetime of the next government, stating that it “is essential” as housing needs a radical reset.
When pushed on the matter and asked if she received a promise that those 50,000 homes would be included in the next programme for government, would that allow the party to accept the two housing support schemes, Cairns said “we don’t know until we go into talks on specifics”.
“We know that there might be compromises,” she said, but added her party does believe the schemes should be phased out over time.
“So it really isn’t the approach that we would take,” said Cairns.
She closed out the press conference by stating that the coalition parties have been “throwing the cash around before an election to try and buy people’s votes”.
“I think people see through that and they’d like a different approach,” she said.
“We’re asking people to please give us a chance, to please, give us your number one vote, and we will do everything you can to fight hard for you,” Cairns said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Just like FF and FG . SF will not acknowledge the immigration problem and side with the natives .Irish people do not have a problem with people coming here to work and contribute to society . Irish people rightly do not want busloads of males been dumped into communities.This is wrong and SF would not acknowledge that in a meaningful way.
If you travel abroad to countries like Poland , you do not see tent cities , you don’t see freeloaders in their cities. Why? Because their government listened to and protected their people .
All SF had to do was acknowledge that perhaps , Irish people are right in their calls for something to be done that actually favours the people of Ireland and not the thousands of freeloaders we have currently milking the system.
Again, immigration wasn’t an issue to anyone other than the skin-triggered because the current govt who gave us your so called “immigration problem” have been comfortably re-elected, with anti-immigration parties getting decimated. Nobody has to pander to the far right now, they lost, FFG won.
@BL Music: sure if that’s the case then why are ff/fg getting seats everywhere
@9QRixo8H: The only party that got decimated is the pro Hamastinian and pro free immigration Shinners.
“Brits out – everyone else in” simply doesn’t wash with their former supporters.
There is no Right wing party in Ireland except by the definition of the Lazy Loony Left Layabouts.
@BL Music: How anyone could get a single thumbs up for such buncombe really is beyond me.
@Thomas Sheridan: SF haven’t done well but they’re the 3rd largest party, how many seats did your far-right anti-immigrant parties get? A whopping zero. Racists have no mandate.
@BL Music: funny how just SF suffered isn’t it, kind of utterly undermines your argument, if your assessment of the importance and impact of the “immigration problem” was correct we’d have had sways of the countless anti immigration candidates elected….. Guess what they bombed
@BL Music: can’t say that that’s racist, allowing people to enter the country without checking they’re backgrounds couldn’t possibly cause a problem. As our spanner himself roderic o gorman says we have a legal and moral obligation to house those entering the country. Obviously to whoever enters the country not what’s currently in it.
Saw this on twitter:
“The only Sinn Fein person having a good day today is probably Jonathan Dowdall in Portlaoise Prison, who’s stuck his house on the market for €800k.”
@honey badger: Also, from Twitter:
Sinn Fein spent €111,000 on Facebook advertising for this campaign. For 11%.
Actual LOL!
She needs to go, the whingeing old bag
@6gRrQtLn: no, leave her there, doing a great job
@Martin Kenny: valid point
@6gRrQtLn: and who is capable of replacing her
@Philip Murphy: Nigel Farage.
@Philip Murphy: no one should replace her, SF should be abolished all together, terrorists shouldn’t be allowed to run for government
She needs to realise politics isn’t conducted on social media.
In a post vote survey 30 percent plus people said they had had a visit from an FF/FG candidate. Only 18 percent had one from SF.
They need a new leader. She’s absolutely ruined them.
You’d have had my vote if Pierce Doherty was the leader.
He talks sense.
@Tom: you mean how he wants affordable housing for everyone, just not in his area?
SFs traditional vote bank has been working class communities that are most impacted by very local issues. When SF started courting Hamas sympathizers and being all fascinated with Palestine and any other trending topics that didn’t resonate with the local communities, they lost those votes.
@Kush OMeara: hari kari by sinn fein. Everyone could see that coming a mile away with the meely mouth re immigration and focus on palestine plus their referendum fcuk up. Mary Lou needs to go straight away and the party need to reorientate back to their core support , apologising on bended knee for betraying everyone.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: hand control back to ‘Belfast’
And she’s blaming the ‘current government’ for SF’s failure at the polls..whilst the ‘current government’ are running away with it; I’m confused..how does that work? The voting public have rejected SF’s programme for their ‘Change’..but I don’t think either ML or PD understand a 2-figure vote..
How is it that nobody can spell Pearse???? I do agree that marylou should go. She single handedly alienated the sf support. Thank you marylou!!!
@BL Music:
“Just like FF and FG . SF will not acknowledge the immigration problem and side with the natives”
FF and FG seem to be doing alright despite your allegation that they don’t “side with the natives”. By your own logic nobody would vote for FF, FG or SF due to the “males being dumped into communities”. Something does not add up as FG and FF have garnered plenty of votes.
Sadly i think Pierce Doherty needs to become leader . Very disappointed really thought people would vote for change . Not the same old boys club . Then again only half country voted these people same ones giving out.
@martin finnegan: The loudest complainers couldn’t be bothered to vote obviously!!
Let’s face it, FF/FG have been buying the locals votes for the last 12 months, money talks,every fiver extra,each lump some payment,each cost of living payment and every little increase & lots of handouts to communities across the country to white wash the crumbling buildings in the local squares.Brings all the locals to the schools to use their vote as a thank you to the government parties.Irish voters are always bought in the run up to elections, this will go on until the GE. It too will work then also as voters are always grateful for the few extra bob.Irish people love their money, whoever gives them more will have their hand shook.As long as donohue and mcgrath keep the handouts coming their almost guaranteed to be in government up to the beginning of the 2030s so get comfy everyone!.
@Wakeupkerrycoco Wakeupkerrycoco: Dream on dear boy!!!! People just saw straight through the sf mullarkey!!
@chris gaffney: Didn’t mention SF in my comment but yes I’d agree that people were not convinced by what SF have to offer anymore. Too slow to react to immigration and seemed to be having notions of grandeur before winning anything major.
My comment was about peoples votes being bought by government.
A poor display
have your say