Voters thought Sinn Féin was ‘pulling punches’ on immigration, McDonald says
Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
Sinn Féin has corrected a perception that it was “pulling its punches” over immigration policy, Mary Lou McDonald has said.
In the wake of last year’s local and European elections, Ms McDonald revealed that senior figures in Sinn Féin were “disappointed” with her engagement with the party’s base and that she needed to offer more clarity on its policies, including on immigration.
In an interview with the Press Association this week, she maintained that Sinn Féin had reconnected with its base and communicated a critique of Government’s immigration policy “that has been much more clear”.
She said: “I think there was a sense amongst a section of our base, they felt that we had pulled our punches, that we hadn’t named the failings of Government. I think we’ve corrected that.”
Ms McDonald said that individuals in the private sector making “huge level of profits” from the International Protection Accommodation Service has left a “sour taste in people’s mouths”.
“Nobody appreciates people profiting on the misery of others. I think there has been a real sense that Government was not clear in resourcing the system, having a clear book of fair, transparent rules, and then applying them. There was an annoyance and I think we’ve critiqued that very effectively.
“And at the same time, being extremely clear that racism is repulsive, that this is a friendly and a decent and an incredible place to live, and that we treat every single human being with respect and with dignity.”
With changes around Cabinet since last year, Ms McDonald said justice minister Jim O’Callaghan “wishes to give the impression of being busier” and “more on top of things”.
“Although they have never accepted it explicitly, I think there has to be some level of implicit acceptance by government that they made an absolute mess of this and to up to and including really straining social cohesion in certain communities – and I think Jim O’Callaghan has said that out loud.”
Ms McDonald said there had to be “respectful” and “democratic” discussion around immigration.
“To my ear, Jim O’Callaghan still sounds very much like a third-party commentator — which cracks me up. I mean, these guys are in Government. This is their job to run this — but he has, at a minimum, acknowledged issues around public confidence and social cohesion.”
Ms McDonald’s office offers a view of the top of Government Buildings, where Taoiseach Micheal Martin’s leadership came under question after Fianna Fáil’s botched presidential election campaign.
Ms McDonald, who started out in politics by joining Fianna Fáil in 1998 for less than 12 months, was asked if her own time in the party gave her any insight into Mr Martin’s continued leadership, Ms McDonald said she had “not a sausage” what would happen with the party.
“It’s a matter for themselves. What I do know is that I have spent the last months now trying to get some level of response, some level of recognition, acknowledgement of the fact that working people and people on fixed incomes have been left literally high and dry – and to no avail. I might as well be talking to the wall.
“He doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t seem to care. It’s just to me, remarkable, and I can’t fathom how anybody in the office of An Taoiseach, anybody in Government, would not have an ear to a genuine appeal just for fairness.”
She accused the Government of “misleading” the public with a “full cupboard” in the run-up to the election, adding: “Now there’s no election, so nobody’s getting anything.”
“I think that’s lousy. I think that is a lousy way to treat people.”
Ms McDonald said the high cost-of-living has left households being asked to “carry out mini-miracles just to keep the show on the road” in the run up to Christmas.
“Micheál Martin doesn’t want to hear that, he literally doesn’t want to know. I find that shocking.”
Further reflecting on the last year, Ms McDonald praised co-operation among left-wing opposition parties as she said large amounts of voters were “disheartened” that a change of Government had not happened in the last general election.
She said the election of President Catherine Connolly was an example of the unity of left-wing parties.
During the campaign, Ms McDonald described her party’s decision to back the candidate as a “game changer” and said Ms Connolly needed Sinn Féin’s support.
Asked if hindsight left her with the belief that Sinn Féin could have won the election with its own candidate, Ms McDonald said: “But we did have our candidate: Our candidate was Catherine Connolly.
“And we took care. We actually did our work thoughtfully and carefully and methodically. Everybody had their say, everybody had a view, some people had a view and then changed their view – and our objective was always to get the right person into Aras, which we achieved.”
Pressed on whether her assessment reflected a left opposition led by Sinn Féin rather than a united left, she said: “Catherine led the campaign.”
She added: “The participation of everybody else was also influential and was also decisive. So this isn’t about jockeying for position.”
Ms McDonald said she respected the differences of other parties and the objective was to find areas of “common cause”.
The next test of the left-wing opposition unity will be by-elections in Dublin Central and Galway West, with Ms McDonald saying success meant “ideally winning both”.
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