Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney has said that it is only a matter of time before the party is in government north and south as a result of an electoral revolution in the southern state last weekend.

And Declan Kearney said the stances adopted by both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to negotiations are neither sustainable or credible and are intrinsically anti-democratic.

In a blog published in An Phoblacht today the South Antrim MLA and Minister in the Executive Office wrote: 

“Sinn Féin sought and received a mandate for government to deliver change, and this week we began a process of exploring the potential of government formation with other parties, on the basis of ending the health and homeless crises; delivering sustainable public services; building 100,000 homes; reducing the retirement age to 65 years; and, advancing Irish unity.

“Sinn Féin wants to be in government to make the progressive change which people clearly desire.

“We are committed to cooperating with others to bring that about. 

“It is a very fundamental, democratic position, and yet almost immediately the Fine Gael leadership arrogantly announced that it would not speak with Sinn Féin about government formation.

“Then just days later a similar position was taken by the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party. 

“Of course the Fianna Fáil leadership and parliamentary party attempts to exclude Sinn Féin from government stems from the fact that they do not want, at this time, to build the houses, reduce the pension age, freeze rents, and cut the ministerial and TD salaries.

“The stances adopted by both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are neither sustainable or credible. In fact they are intrinsically anti-democratic.”

Declan Kearney said the setbacks for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are huge. 

“The reality is the Irish establishment, and its vested economic, financial, and class interests has been rocked to its very core by the electoral revolution of last weekend.

“The significance of the electoral and political set backs for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are huge.

“Their rotational dominance in government, which secured the Irish establishment’s interests for decades, has been ended.

“The general election confirmed Sinn Féin as the largest party in the southern state, representing the community and class interests of working people, with a massive mandate of over half a million votes.”

He continued:

“Three weeks ago the British state left the European Union. One of the unintended consequences of Brexit has been to put a debate about constitutional change and Irish unity centre stage.

“The Irish establishment fears this debate: And the British do not want it to take place.

“But that genie is out of the bottle.

“Sinn Féin is in government in the north of Ireland. It is only a matter of time until we are also in government in the south.

“Politics has started to realign in Ireland.

The results of the last election are new evidence of that.”

The full text of Declan Kearney’s blog can be read here at https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/27743