Republican News · Thursday 6 June 2002

The challenge of a new opposition

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Selected last Saturday as leader of Sinn Féin's newly elected Parliamentary Group in Leinster House, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin is undeterred by Fianna Fáil's and the PD's return to power, and points to promising changes in the Dáil Opposition.

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A real alternative of the left is both necessary and possible. - Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

"It has been truly said of the general election that the people did not change the government - they changed the Opposition," Ó Caoláin told An Phoblacht this week, as the Sinn Féin team prepared to enter Leinster House.

Business as usual is the mindset of the incoming government, he says, despite the unexpected success of the PDs. "The Progressive Democrats will have greater representation but the general shape and policy direction of the government of the last five years will remain the same. In stark contrast, the Opposition in the Dáil has been transformed."

Indeed it has. The deputies of the Labour Party, the Green Party and Sinn Féin now outnumber those of Fine Gael, by 32 to 31. The incoming government is likely to be conservative and right-wing in character, especially given the increased representation of the PDs. "A real alternative of the left is therefore both necessary and possible," Ó Caoláin believes. "Fine Gael cannot provide such an alternative. Currently in disarray, Fine Gael offers only a choice between shades of conservatism.

The Cavan/Monaghan TD will be joined by colleagues Seán Crowe (Dublin South West), Martin Ferris (Kerry North), Arthur Morgan (Louth) and Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central). "We have been given a new mandate and Sinn Féin has been given a new responsibility as a significant party in the Dáil.

"When we met for the first time last week as a team of Sinn Féin TDs, we were joined by three of our four MPs from the Six Counties - Gerry Adams, Pat Doherty and Michelle Gildernew. It was a reminder that across Ireland as a whole around 300,000 people vote Sinn Féin and that we are the only all-Ireland party."

With signs that Northern representation in the Dáil may be introduced in the near future, Ó Caoláin says that Sinn Féin's focus will very much remain on the strengthening of cross-border links and preparation for the unity of the country.

"Four years ago, the Good Friday Agreement was endorsed in referenda. The Agreement involved difficult compromises for all concerned but it provided the basis for political progress. It has yet to be fully implemented and TDs in the new Dáil should focus on this need. The Agreement provides for the reunification of Ireland given 'the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island'. Common efforts are necessary to achieve this consent and to prepare for the future unity of our people and our country. That task should begin now and a Green Paper on Irish Unity would be just one element of such a programme."

Decline in public services and a widening of the division between rich and poor may continue in the term of the new Dáil, Ó Caoláin says, and opposition parties must start working together. "We in Sinn Féin will be advancing our equality agenda in the new Dáil. We will be campaigning inside and outside the Dáil chamber for a renewed health service and an end to the two-tier system, for decent housing, accessible childcare, rural regeneration and the implementation of the people's decision on the Treaty of Nice. We are willing to work with others of all parties to advance this agenda. At the same time we will vigorously oppose any government programme of cuts to public services, privatisation or the clawing back of the advances made by working people in the past decade."

Without a change in current Dáil Standing Orders, however, this task may be rendered all the more difficult. "Dáil Standing Orders must be changed if the mandate of the electorate is to be respected in the new Dáil. Current Standing Orders severely restrict the smaller parties in their ability to fully represent their voters in terms of speaking time, private members' business, introducing legislation and questioning ministers. This is totally undemocratic and must not be allowed to continue."

Fianna Fáil, as the largest party, he says, should take the lead in having Standing Orders amended. In the event that Standing Orders are not changed it will be necessary for Sinn Féin, the Greens and Independents to cooperate in the formation of a technical group - a way of working around the Dáil's outdated rules.

But will other parties and Sinn Féin manage to organise on issues of common concern?

"A new challenge in Irish politics is for the Labour Party, the Greens, Sinn Féin and principled and progressive independents to provide the left alternative to an incoming FF/PD Coalition," says Ó Caoláin. "We share common ground on a range of issues and these can be developed. Such an alignment would be better placed to appeal to the many ordinary decent people who support Fianna Fáil than any Fine Gael-led opposition. In the heat of inter-party rivalry, this is often forgotten."

Tensions on the Opposition benches are set to grow as a rerun of the Nice Treaty referendum looms on the horizon. Scheduled for the autumn, it seems unlikely now that the Labour Party or Fine Gael will do a u-turn on their support for the Treaty, leaving Sinn Féin, the Greens and a handful of Independents standing against the government.

"The most immediate task of those who value Irish democracy will be to ensure that the decision of the electorate in rejecting the Nice Treaty is respected and to oppose any replay of the referendum. Last year the electorate rejected this undemocratic Treaty and rejected also the advice of the Fianna Fáil/PD/Fine Gael/Labour alliance for a yes vote. All these parties should not be part of any effort to dragoon the people into "getting it right" the second time around."

"A real alternative of the left is both necessary and possible." Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin