SF: voters will not be duped

VOTERS will not be duped by election promises to abolish stamp duty for first time house-buyers, it was claimed yesterday.

Just hours after the Progressive Democrats made the pledge in their election manifesto, Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald claimed Michael McDowell’s party had a credibility problem with the electorate.

“Promises were made in the last election by the PDs,” the Dublin MEP said.

“People will judge their latest promises against their record of delivery.

“They promised the waiting list problem in our hospitals would be solved and look at the problem now. “The issue of stamp duty is being seized upon by them and other parties and while there is no doubt there is an issue around housing, to suggest that this can be resolved by abolishing or tampering around with stamp duty is just codology.

“Developers would simply cash in and it would be absorbed by the market.

“That is why we favour a more targeted approach, with an increase in mortgage tax relief for first time buyers and the building of 70,000 new social housing units by 2012.”

Ms McDonald is bidding for a Dáil seat in Mr Ahern’s Dublin Central constituency.

The party is hopeful the recent power-sharing deal in the North and the appointment of its team of Stormont ministers will give it strong momentum during the campaign.

Ms McDonald repeated party leader Gerry Adams’ claim that SF was aiming to be in government north and south and she dismissed Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern’s insistence that he would not enter into any administration with them.

“I believe our party is going to return to the Dáil with a much more strengthened team,” she said.