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Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald Niall Carson via PA Images

McDonald accuses FG and FF of 'clinging to each other' to stay in power

It comes as Leo Varadkar, Micheal Martin and Eamon Ryan signed an agreement to form a coalition.

SINN FÉIN PRESIDENT Mary Lou McDonald has accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of “clinging to each other” to stay in power.

It comes as Leo Varadkar, Micheal Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan signed an agreement to form a coalition government more than four months on from February’s inconclusive general election.

While Sinn Féin won the popular vote, it failed to form a left-wing government as it could not secure enough seats to form a majority in the Dáil.

McDonald said her party’s historic win forced Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, “in an act of desperation, to cling to each other in order to cling to power”.

“To those who believed in a changed Ireland, to those who have been let down time and again by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led governments, I say this; I hear you, I see you and I stand with you,” McDonald said.

“I know you are impatient with change, I am also impatient for change,” she said.

McDonald added that “many people are disappointed, indeed angry watching Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil push back change”.

I’m not giving up because I believe that we are within touching distance of a better Ireland.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can delay change, but they can’t stop it and they won’t stop it.

“Our job now is to keep the ship pointed in the right direction and to keep everyone who shares that vision on board,” she said.

McDonald said that “changing Ireland won’t be easy, but nothing worth having comes easily, a new Ireland is worth having”.

“It’s worth believing in, it’s worth working for, it’s worth all the effort,” the Sinn Féin leader said.

“Those who benefit from the status quo will now say that the story of change is over, don’t listen to them because the story of change is only just beginning.”

She claimed that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will fail to deliver on public health and affordable homes.

“The question isn’t just what is written in a very long programme for government, the questions is whether or not you can trust Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to deliver change the evidently is required?” she added.

“The answer to that is no, we can’t.”

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    Mute great gael of Eire
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    Jun 16th 2020, 2:58 PM

    Why not get the ECB to print the money and give it to the Irish Govt to kick start the economy. Create new projects all over the country and the money should filter down to everyone in the economy. The reason the ECB tries not to print money is to prevent inflation. That’s the only reason. But we are in a crisis and we need money to get the economy going again. Central banks can do what ever they want

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Jun 16th 2020, 2:38 PM

    A lot will depend on how well (if at all) the tourist industry bounces back when restrictions are fully lifted.
    I think a lot of other sectors will be ok as they were performing well before the crisis hit.

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    Mute Martin Peter Rahill
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    Jun 16th 2020, 4:07 PM

    Clamping down on Tax Evasion rather than just increasing tax would be a fine chance. Nixers & other undeclared additional income cheat everyone. The “Welfare Cheats cheat us all” is a classist argument that cost a fortune to roll out – and gathered less money in enforcement actions than it cost.

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    Mute Michael Wall
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    Jun 16th 2020, 5:22 PM

    The ECB have already agreed to underwrite everything at 0%, no need for a recession. We can push money into the economy, build needed infrastructure all we need is a government and an Irish central bank with vision.

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Jun 16th 2020, 3:19 PM

    Sure we can blame the greens for it because somehow they buried us in corrupt debt for the last 20 years….knowing the moronic Irish voter down they will somehow come to this conclusion lol.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jun 16th 2020, 3:29 PM

    @Peter Hughes: well the green party last time they were in power introduced a regressive carbon tax which does nothing but punish people who have no choice to drive due to lack of rural public transport, can’t see them doing much better this time round

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Jun 16th 2020, 4:10 PM

    @Sean: Lol nothing to do with FFG and their stellar governance….we deserve them let’s face it.

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    Mute Mickomacko
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    Jun 17th 2020, 1:11 AM

    That building, it looks like there is still scaffolding around it

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    Mute Mickomacko
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    Jun 17th 2020, 1:11 AM

    That building, it looks like there is still scaffolding around it

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