MARY LOU MCDONALD has said the deletion of thousands of press statements on her party’s website is not an attempt to pivot Sinn Féin’s position on issues such Russia and NATO.
The Sunday Independent reported that thousands of press statements from Sinn Féin politicians going back over 20 years have been deleted in recent days.
“No, absolutely not,” McDonald told The Journal in New York today when asked if the deletion was an attempt to deflect away from some of the positions its members have taken over the years.
“The website is getting a long overdue overhaul. So the archives are being changed,” she said, adding that there is nothing of note about it.
“You don’t remove things from the internet, when something is issued, it is there forever, you don’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist to find comments, remarks or statements on anything. So that’s just a housekeeping matter,” she said.
Speaking about the crisis in Ukraine, McDonald said Ireland is playing an impeccable role when it comes to humanitarian aid, pointing out that this is shown from the response the Irish public have shown in helping Ukrainian refugees.
When asked if she would consider opening up her home to refugees arriving in Ireland, she said:
Funny enough we had that conversation at home. I’m not going to be in a position for a number of reasons to do that. I know others will. I think it’s very important that anybody who does that, there’s sufficient vetting so that everybody is safe and protected in that space.
McDonald said there is a mobilisation of communities around the country, stating that in her own constituency, the North Star Hotel is now housing 600 people from Ukraine.
Since the onset of violence in Ukraine, there have been a number of assertions made by politicians that Sinn Féin has been soft on Russia.
This is something McDonald refutes.
Position on Russia
“On the issue of Russia, our position has always been and remains that any conflict will ultimately be resolved by diplomacy and by dialogue, that’s the reality. And we have always supported and will always support an approach that supports multilateralism, the rule of international law, not escalating or heightening tensions, moving in every which way to de-escalate tense situations, and to try and avoid aggression.
“But just be very clear. When Russia stepped outside of international law, and invaded Ukraine, we didn’t skip a beat in calling that out,” she said, adding that they would do the same with any other aggressor in similar circumstances.
“So I don’t think our position is soft. I think our position is absolutely consistent. That you only keep good order internationally when people respect things, like the right to self determination, rights like national sovereignty, and that has been clearly egregiously breached by Vladimir Putin’s regime and his aggression against Ukraine. So there’s no equivocation on that point,” said McDonald.
Ireland should be military neutral
McDonald said her party is for Ireland playing a full role as a “military neutral” within the international system.
“We don’t equivocate on that, we’re not looking to get off that hook, that’s the right position for Ireland. That’s the most constructive position that Ireland, a small nation with a history of colonisation and conflict, and of peacemaking. That’s the right place and position for us,” she said.
Sinn Féin also has “no desire” for Ireland to be part of NATO, said McDonald.
That would be “wrong” and would be an “absolutely fundamental error”, she said.
Others have a different view, said the Sinn Féin leader, highlighting what she claims have been attempts over many years, particularly from Fine Gael, to try and move Ireland towards the European Defence process and to further alignment with NATO.
“We think that’s the wrong move and absolutely the wrong position for us. So where there is a lack of clarity on this issue, it’s not around us, it’s around others who may try and use this war, initiated by Putin, to try and shift Ireland away from our traditional policy. That’s a mistake,” said McDonald.
In recent days, the Taoiseach has opened up the prospect of a Citizens’ Assembly on Ireland’s neutrality, while the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that we cannot be naive in thinking that because we are neutral we will be immune to any future attacks.
McDonald said that what Ireland brings to the table is our peacekeeping record which she said is unsurpassed and unmatched.
Ireland also brings an entirely different perspective than some other EU countries, many of whom are former colonisers, said McDonald.
Speaking to her kids about nuclear weapons
“Nobody should have nuclear weapons, NATO, Russia or anywhere else. They’re an international menace. So those are the questions. I think that’s where the debate needs to be,” she said.
Fine Gael has always had an inclination to move towards militarisation and a move towards Ireland as part of an EU defence and military apparatus, said McDonald.
“We take the contrary view, we think Ireland’s role is to argue for demilitarisation, to argue for diplomacy, to argue for democracy. That’s our role,” she said, pointing out that in 1968 Ireland was the first country to sign up to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.
“We lead on that issue. That’s what we should be doing. That’s where we can use our soft power and influence,” she said.
The Sinn Féin leader followed up those comments today during a talk at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York, stating that she never thought that she would have conversations with her teenage children about the possible use of nuclear weapons.
McDonald told The Journal that Ireland knows all too well what conflict can bring to a country, stating that the Irish Government must make calls for a peaceful resolution.
“We know the cost of it. We know the cost. We also know that sooner or later the fighting ends, and sooner is always better. The fighting ends and then the talking and the dialogue and the diplomacy kicks in.
She said there needs to be a change in European treaties, stating that there is currently no provision for a recognition of the military neutrals, the non aligned, such as a country like Ireland.
“There’s recognition for members of NATO, but that’s not counterbalanced by recognising member states like Ireland. We need to change that instead of going along with those that are in NATO. We need to think constructively and ambitiously, what’s the space that we fill? What’s the kind of diplomatic elbow room that we create as as neutral and that’s actually how small countries make you can make a big, big difference,” she said.
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