Republican News · Thursday 30 May 2002

Sinn Féin five set agenda for new Dáil

Ó Caoláin is parliamentary group leader

Sinn Féin TD for Cavan Monaghan, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, was selected at a special post-election meeting of the Ard Chomhairle in Dublin on Saturday last as the Party's Parliamentary Group Leader in Leinster House. Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has been appointed as Party Whip. Ó Caoláin will now lead Sinn Féin's team of five newly elected TDs that includes Seán Crowe, Dublin South West; Martin Ferris, Kerry North; Arthur Morgan, Louth and Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Dublin South Central. Speaking after his selection, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said:

"I am truly honoured to have been selected by my comrades and colleagues to lead Sinn Féin's first ever group of TDs in Leinster House. Before this election I was confident that I would not be returning to Leinster House alone. Now that the election has come and gone I am looking forward to the prospect of engaging along with my four colleagues in constructive and critical opposition.

"With a mandate from almost 300,000 people in Ireland we are also part of a larger national Sinn Féin team committed to bringing about real change on an all-Ireland basis. We will be a forceful voice for equality and justice. We are confident of making a significant impact in the new Dáil."

The five newly elected Sinn Féin TDs signed the Roll of Members in the Dáil on Thursday 23 May and met for the first time as a group, together with MPs Gerry Adams, Pat Doherty and Michelle Gildernew. Outlining the outcome of the meeting, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said:

"We want to record our appreciation to those citizens who turned out in such increased numbers to elect Sinn Féin TDs. We owe our renewed and strengthened mandate to them and we are determined to provide the best and most effective representation to all the people of our constituencies.

"Our meeting emphasised the all-Ireland nature of Sinn Féin's political project, as highlighted by the presence of three of our four MPs from the Six Counties. Advancing the peace process and the cause of Irish unity and sovereignty will be a priority for us in the new Dáil. We look forward to working with others to create a new political dynamic on this island.

"The result of the general election will most likely see the formation of another Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats Coalition government. Such a government should not simply carry on regardless with the policies of the past five years. While the electorate saw no alternative government on offer, they did make clear their dissent from those aspects of government policy which have created gross inequality in our society. This dissent was expressed in the election of such a large number of TDs from smaller parties and of independents. There is an onus on both the incoming government and the opposition to act on their mandate from the electorate.

"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 housing, 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."

Call for Dáil rule change

Ó Caoláin called for changes in Dáil rules to ensure that the mandates of all parties are respected:

"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 fully to 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. In our meeting with Fianna Fáil, we will be urging that they, as the largest party, take the lead in having Standing Orders amended. With a renewed mandate, Sinn Féin is determined that the rights of our electorate will be fully vindicated.

"In the event that Standing Orders are not changed, it will be necessary for Sinn Féin, the Greens and independents to co-operate in the formation of a technical group. This must be composed of a majority of those deputies not elected as part of a party of seven TDs or more. In the coming days, we will be conducting meetings with parties and individual TDs to this end. I have been appointed to head our negotiating team.

"There is also a need for cooperation among the broad left in the new Dáil, including the Labour Party, the Green Party, Sinn Féin and like-minded progressive independent deputies. In wide policy areas we have much in common.

"Sinn Féin, the Greens and some of the independents took a leading role in the campaign against the Treaty of Nice. The decision of the electorate in rejecting Nice must be respected and we will strongly oppose any re-run of the referendum.

"Today, we have set the agenda for Sinn Féin's role in constructive opposition in the Oireachtas and as a campaigning party throughout Ireland. We look forward to the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."