SF members wary of forming links with FF

WITH all the media speculation as to whether Sinn Féin will be part of a coalition government in the 26 Counties after the next general election, and Bertie Ahern dismissing us as not being good enough, it is important to point out a few realities.

The question is not whether Sinn Féin will be good enough to enter government with Fianna Fáil, but rather will Fianna Fáil be able to measure up to Sinn Féin.

Certainly most colleagues I know in Sinn Féin feel that Fianna Fáil have a very long way to go before we would touch them with a 40-foot pole.

Unlike the other political parties, it will be the ordinary members of Sinn Féin who will decide by vote at a specially convened árd fheis whether or not we will take that step.

While the top brass of Fianna Fáil, et al, make such decisions without consulting their grassroots, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness are answerable to every party member throughout Ireland on this as on all other policy questions.

From what I'm hearing at the moment, I don't think the majority of Sinn Féin members would contemplate forming a government with Fianna Fáil.

Cllr Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin

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