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Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald Niall Carson/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Sinn Féin is supporting the abolition of the 'elite and out of touch' Seanad

The party’s opposition will come as a surprise given it opposed the legislation which gave effect to a referendum on the abolition of the upper house.

SINN FÉIN WILL support the abolition of the Seanad, the party has confirmed this morning in a surprise move.

Spokesperson on finance, Pearse Doherty, has said the upper house is “elite and out of touch” and is “accountable to nobody”.

“More than 99 percent of the population have no say in who gets elected to the Seanad. The government has an inbuilt majority, so instead of holding Fine Gael and Labour to account, the Seanad rubber stamps government policy,” he said today.

The party will campaign for a Yes vote prior to the vote on 4 October, though Doherty criticised the government for not referring the issue to the Constitutional Convention for discussion prior to passing legislation recently.

He said that the Seanad has supported the government on “every single occasion” for the past two years and said his party will launch his campaign for abolition in the coming weeks.

The decision to support the referendum – and the position of the government – will come as a surprise to many observers with Sinn Féin having been an ardent critic of many government policies in the last two years.

It will be all the more surprising given the party opposed the passage of the legislation giving effect to the referendum in the Dáil and Seanad in recent weeks.

Sinn Féin currently has three senators: David Cullinane, Kathryn Reilly and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.

Read: Government confirms date for Seanad and Court of Appeal referenda

Read: Senator claiming he was offered holiday to skip Seanad vote won’t pursue matter

Video: David Norris accuses Fine Gael TD of ‘speaking out of her f***y’

Richard Bruton: The Seanad is a luxury we can no longer afford

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169 Comments
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    Mute Mark Fitzmaurice
    Favourite Mark Fitzmaurice
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    May 24th 2015, 5:48 PM

    Here’s hoping they got out and walked away!

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    Mute Hermes
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    May 24th 2015, 6:05 PM

    What if they were drug dealers ?
    Just asking like …

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    Mute Ron North
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    May 24th 2015, 6:10 PM

    You’re an idiot Hermes.

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    May 24th 2015, 6:12 PM

    Stay off the Miami Vice Hermes.

    203
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    Mute Brian Gormley
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    May 24th 2015, 6:12 PM

    Mark, read it again, Gardai confirm there are casualties, if they are minding their own business I hope they’re ok, up to no good fcuk ‘em

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    Mute Ron North
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    May 24th 2015, 6:14 PM

    You Brian are also an idiot.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    May 24th 2015, 6:17 PM

    Two injuries reported on the news. Difficult area to reach, but they’re alive.

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    Mute phillius fogg
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    May 24th 2015, 6:29 PM

    What sort of a Moronic comment is that Hermes

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    Mute Frank Flanagan
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    May 24th 2015, 7:20 PM

    Don’t be speculating, Denis Reidy….
    Wait for the facts.

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    Mute Ron North
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    May 24th 2015, 7:32 PM

    He’s not speculating, he is saying what was reported on the news.
    .
    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/speculating

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    Mute Frank Flanagan
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    May 24th 2015, 7:42 PM

    He WAS speculating… He said they were alive – when in fact they weren’t.
    Shouldnt believe everything you hear in the media…
    May they rest in peace.

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    Mute Ron North
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    May 24th 2015, 7:51 PM

    He said “Two injuries reported on the news…etc. etc. “.
    The news channel may have been speculating but he wasn’t, he stated that something was reported on the news, which to the best of my knowledge was a fact (that it was reported on the news).

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    Mute Hermes
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    May 24th 2015, 7:52 PM

    I didn’t read the story – I reacted to the original comment ……………..

    May they rest in Peace whoever they are – had it indicated that they were dead I would have not commented at all !

    N.B. – Stories change as the hours, days or weeks progress ……

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    Mute Tinkers Toenail
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    May 24th 2015, 8:00 PM

    What’s the craic lads. What have I missed?

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    Mute Mark Fitzmaurice
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    May 24th 2015, 8:11 PM

    Brian, I commented when the story was just that there had been a plane crash. They’ve updated it now to say there are people dead so my comment now looks ridiculous.

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    Mute Mary Costello
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    May 24th 2015, 8:22 PM

    One of the men was my first cousin Brian. He would have celebrated his 70th birthday later this year with his twin brother. Brian was one of the nicest men I have ever known. We are all heartbroken. RIP.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    May 24th 2015, 8:27 PM

    @Mary, My sincere condolences.

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    Mute Mary Costello
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    May 24th 2015, 8:44 PM

    Thanks Denis.

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    Mute Hermes
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    May 24th 2015, 8:48 PM

    Mary my condolences as well….

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    Mute Mary Costello
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    May 24th 2015, 9:20 PM

    Thanks Hermes.

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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    May 24th 2015, 9:57 PM

    May they rest in peace.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    May 24th 2015, 9:57 PM

    Sorry to hear that Mary.

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    Mute Paula Kehoe
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    May 25th 2015, 7:39 AM

    Sorry for your loss. Xxxx

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    Mute Ross
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    May 24th 2015, 10:41 PM

    Can’t believe some of the comments on a report of a terrible accident and the deaths of two men out for a flight on a Sunday. There sure are some black-hearted, mean-minded people out there.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    May 24th 2015, 8:01 PM

    Just read the update. Sad news. RIP.

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    May 24th 2015, 7:45 PM

    RIP fellow aviators

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    Mute Ciaran Pender
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    May 24th 2015, 6:54 PM

    I could see where the helicopter was hovering its a remote enough area now!

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    Mute Ciaran Pender
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    May 24th 2015, 6:56 PM

    We live on the mountain and we can’t see the plane but from where the helicopter lowered its a remote area!

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    Mute Glen
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    May 24th 2015, 6:16 PM

    Apparently it crashed in a hard to reach area.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    May 24th 2015, 6:18 PM

    How’re ye Glen, you multi tasking too?

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    Mute Ciaran Pender
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    May 24th 2015, 8:05 PM

    We spotted the crash site, they so nearly made it over the mountain, very very remote area

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    Mute fuve
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    May 24th 2015, 8:03 PM

    Rest in peace poor men :(I hope it was swift. Deepest condolences to their families

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    Mute Mark O'Donohoe
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    May 24th 2015, 7:27 PM

    Rescue 117 just confirmed on Facebook that occupants X2 RIP :’(

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    Mute Mark O'Donohoe
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    May 24th 2015, 7:30 PM

    Correction, Irish Coast Guard page on Facebook. Rescue 117 had been tasked.

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    Mute Sandra Turner
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    May 24th 2015, 8:10 PM

    Possibly on the way to or from the ILAS fly in in Wexford today? RIP

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    Mute Chris
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    May 24th 2015, 8:11 PM

    Sad story, RIP.

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    Mute Mark Fitzsimons
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    May 25th 2015, 1:14 AM

    RIP! Terrible to here!

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