SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald addressed delegates and people across the country in a live-streamed speech at her party’s Ardfheis in Athlone today, pledging to address government failings and proclaiming that her party is ready to take on the upcoming general election. 

Introduced by Sinn Féin spokesperson on finance, TD Pearse Doherty as “our leader, my great friend”, McDonald took to the podium just after 6:30pm to applause. 

“The general election is coming,” she said.

“If you are through with bad government, waste of public money, failure to deliver, if you believe in an Ireland where workers, families and communities come first, we want you to know that when the election comes, Sinn Féin is ready,” she said.

McDonald’s address at the Ardfheis comes as her party experiences a slump in the polls. 

Last week, Polling by Opinions for the Sunday Times showed Sinn Féin lag behind Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Independents, dropping nine points to 18%. 

She called for a ceasefire in Palestine, saying, “Ireland must act”, and condemned the Israeli use of Irish airspace. She was met with applause as she told the crowd that racism would be “faced down”.

McDonald reiterated Sinn Féin’s plan to make housing affordable, and outlined further the party’s plan to abolish controversial tax Universal Social Charge (USC) on the first €45,000 of all workers’ income. 

“If Pearse Doherty was introducing the Budget on Tuesday, it would be a Budget to deliver immediate, lasting benefits to workers and families,” she said. “To help ordinary people with the cost of living, making housing affordable, delivering childcare for €10 a day, increasing the minimum wage, eliminating student fees.”

She committed to delivering a second A&E for the Midwest, and work towards the delivery of universal healthcare. She announced that means testing for carers to receive carer’s allowance would be abolished. 

Within her address, McDonald took aim at Taoiseach Simon Harris, as well as his party Fine Gael and coalition party Fianna Fáil. Earlier today, when asked if there were parties Sinn Fein would refuse to form a coalition with, McDonald told reporters that the “best outcome” of an election would be “a new government without Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil”. 

McDonald criticised Harris for his involvement in the National Children’s Hospital, the construction of has been delayed for a number of years and now holds the title of the most expensive building in the world.

She also denounced the breaking of his promise in 2017 as Minister for Health that no child suffering from scoliosis or spina bifida would wait longer than four months for an operation. 

“We pledge to put €1 billion of the Apple Tax into communities left behind by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” she said, citing investments in community and youth work to tackle crime.

On the housing crisis, she said: “The average age of a first-time buyer is now thirty-nine. Over four years – the price of a new home in Dublin increased by one hundred grand. Average new rent now almost €2,000 per month. A record number of people homeless. 4,419 of those are children. Shameful.”

McDonald addressed the party’s performance in the local elections in June, where Sinn Féin made only modest gains, saying that it had performed well in the North.

Sinn Féin’s longstanding commitment towards the reunification of Ireland has been a key point at the Ardfheis over the weekend. McDonald emphasised a continued momentum towards reunification, and committed to working to secure a referendum on the matter by the end of this decade.

She added that a Sinn Féin government would appoint a Minister for reunification at the Department of An Taoiseach.

“Vote for a government for working people. For you, your family, your community. With your support, if you give us the opportunity, that’s the government Sinn Féin will deliver,” McDonald closed off her address. “We face the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Let’s seize it with both hands.”