Adams claims now is time for ‘genuine republican politics’

SINN FÉIN leader Gerry Adams told voters in Cork yesterday “there has never been a more necessary time for genuine republican politics” in Ireland as he accused Fianna Fáil leadership “of re-colonising this part of the country”.

Mr Adams was speaking on the morning that an IPSOS/MRBI poll in the Irish Times showed support for his party climbing 7 percentage points to 15%. In the same poll, Fianna Fáil’s vote fell by 7 points and Labour’s vote by 8 points.

Mr Adams, himself seeking election in Louth, was in Cork to launch his party’s economic policies. While he said the poll was a “good news day”, he warned that a general election was still some time off and that there was “a long battle” ahead.

“Whatever criticism we make about the Government, the Government can be held to account. The International Monetary Fund aren’t going to care about hospital services, about schools or about the unemployed. They are acting in their self interest,” he said. “We now need genuine republican politics”.

Mr Adams posed for pictures with the party’s Cork North Central and Cork South Central candidates, Cllrs Jonathan O’Brien and Chris O’Leary, alongside the National Monument on Cork’s Grand Parade.

“Both have a very good record of work on the council, working for people on the housing list, exposing the scams and the expenses and the junketeering. We have a good organisation here and people here want change. We will now have to work for it,” he said.

According to Mr Adams, Sinn Féin’s economic policy will be built around a jobs stimulus package, a wealth tax, a new rate of tax for those earning more than €100,000, a salary ceiling of €100,000 for all senior civil servants and a 40% cut in ministerial pay.

“The most important thing we must do is try and retain jobs and create jobs. We would use the National Pension Reserve Fund to create a jobs stimulus package.

“The NPRF is essentially a fund which is being used to invest in other European states. Why can’t it be used here?

“First use it in the construction sector to do capital projects. There are still children being educated in prefabs. The prefabs are being rented from private businesses at enormous cost. Why not start building those schools and get going on the infrastructural projects that will create jobs and build a future? We have also argued for all assets outside of working farmland that is worth more than €1 million to be taxed. I personally believe that out of any bad situation good can come. I think now is time for a fightback,” he said.