“There is no party more ambitious for workers, for families and for Irish society.”

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has said that “in government, Sinn Féin will deliver solutions that put people first.”

The Sinn Féin TD was speaking at the launch of his election campaign in Ballyphehane Community Centre this evening.

Mr Ó Laoghaire said;

“There is no party more ambitious for workers, for families and for Irish society than Sinn Féin. 

“The minimum that any person should expect from their government is the right to a roof over your head that you can afford, the right to see a doctor when you are sick and the right to feel safe in your community.

“Fine Gael, and their government partners in Fianna Fáil have failed the people of Cork South Central on these most basic needs.

“Simon Coveney and Mícheál Martin would have you believe no matter who is in government that these failures are beyond the influence of elected representatives. They want us to believe that these problems would remain no matter who is in charge.

“We in Sinn Féin will never accept this lack of ambition. The crises in housing, health and crime can be solved with political will and Sinn Féin has the solutions.

“Sinn Féin will house our people. We will build homes and deliver the largest public housing programme Ireland has ever seen.

“Sinn Féin will deliver a health service that works for ordinary people. We will not only deliver more hospital beds, we will take the pressure off our trauma hospitals by investing more in home help, in community care and in step-down and nursing home beds.

“Sinn Féin will deliver record numbers of Gardaí on our streets. All the evidence shows that visibility of police is the greatest deterrent to crime.

“Cork has been neglected by government when it comes to the allocation of Gardaí. In recent months, we have seen a spate of serious crimes, many of them extremely violent. At the same time most stations in the city have less Gardaí on the beat than five years ago. I have been tireless in campaigning for better resources to tackle crime in our communities and I will continue that campaign.

“We are not in this election, in Cork or anywhere else, just to offer opinions or criticisms. Sinn Féin wants to change things and change things so people see a real difference in their lives, not just a change in the faces in government. That is what drives me as a republican, as an activist, and as a TD for Cork South Central.”