SINN FÉIN PRESIDENT Mary Lou McDonald has said her party is aiming to be in government in Ireland, both north and south of the border, in 2024.

Voters are set to go to the polls in June for European and local government elections, but there is speculation that the next general election here will be held towards the end of the year.

The last general election in January 2020 saw Sinn Féin finish with 37 seats, but Fianna Fáil (38 seats) and Fine Gael (35 seats) combined with the Green Party to form a coalition government in June 2020. 

In her new year’s message, McDonald said her party will focus on electing enough Sinn Féin TDs to form a government without Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil after the next general election to “deliver real change”.

“The election is fast approaching and if the people give us the opportunity to lead,” she said.

“Sinn Féin will make housing the number one priority of a new government – not only in words but in actions and in results. By reducing rents and delivering the largest social and affordable house building programme in the history of the state.

“That is the level of action needed to match the scale of the challenge people face.”

She also called for “step change in the north”, and urged the DUP to re-enter devolved government at Stormont.

Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill has been entitled, as the leader of the largest party at Stormont since the May 2022 Assembly election, to become the next first minister when the institutions are recalled.

“It’s decision time for the DUP. It’s time to move forward and form the Executive. It is time for positive leadership. It is time for delivery,” McDonald said.

McDonald said her party’s number one priority is housing, adding they want 2024 to be the year they “turn the tide on the housing crisis”, adding: “I believe that will only happen with Sinn Féin in government”.

“2024 needs to be the year when our young people have hope in the future – hope of an affordable home, hope of building a life in Ireland and hope of having a real opportunity to return home, if they want to do so.

“2024 needs to be the year when an Irish government begins to plan for Irish reunification, beginning with the establishment of a Citizens Assembly so that the conversation can develop and preparations can begin.”

Polls

At the end of November, there was a fall in support for Sinn Féin in a Business Post Red C opinion poll, showing a three point drop since the month previous.

The party still remained the most popular among likely voters on 29%. 

In early December, another poll, this time by the Sunday Independent, which also showed a three point drop, putting the party at 31% – again, still the most popular party.

In an interview with The Journal this month, when asked about the narrative that this could be a trend in her party’s poll ratings and if she had asked herself why there has been a fall off, McDonald said:

“I mean, we assess everything, of course, we always need to assess our performance.”

In her view, she said the polls have been up and “a little bit down, a little bit”, she said.

“But the picture more generally, in the course of the year, has been actual relative stability for all of the parties and the players,” she said.

“Of course, we want to convince more and more people to support us when the election comes… So what we’re going to do is just work hard. That’s what we’re going to do, listen to people, be as responsive as we can.

“Our job is to convince people that change is not only desirable, but that change is necessary and that we as a party can do a good job, and that we can deliver that change in a way that benefits people in a way that puts roofs over people’s heads primarily.”

Tánaiste Micheál Martin recently warned that a Sinn Féin government would be “dragged” by the far-left into making irresponsible decisions if it got into power. 

At a roundtable interview with reporters in Dublin, he said there are “very serious issues” with Sinn Féin policies, adding that this was particularly evident in its initial response to the conflict in Gaza this year which he said was “going for the populist perspective”.

Despite this, the Tánaiste did not go as far as to rule out a coalition, saying: “That’s a position the party will come to in due course.”

With reporting from Jane Moore