Republican News · Thursday 10 April 2003

New kid at the top

By Joanne Corcoran

Getting more women into the party and seeing a TD elected for Connaught, are just two of the items on Robbie Smith's wish list. This year's Ard Fheis formally appointed Robbie, who has been in the party for over 12 years, to the role of Ard Rúnaí, or General Secretary. He follows in the footsteps of Lucilita Bhreatnach, who filled the position for 15 years and will now head up the newly established Equality Department.

"When Lucilita took this job, it used to be a rotating position," he says. "Somebody would put up with the vast amount of work for as long as they could, then the mantle would be passed on. But Lucilita gave it a solidity, she made the job her own. She guided the party through some of the most difficult years since its formation, right up to the Peace Process."

Robbie's organisational experience meant he was the obvious choice to replace Lucilita.

Starting out

Originally from Crumlin, it was while he was in UCD studying economics and politics that Robbie began to take an interest in Sinn Féin.

"I was in college with Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Martin Spain and we all started to get involved in student politics," he recalls.

"At the time there were a lot of cuts being made in education and one of the first protests I took part in was when library hours were being slashed. The Taoiseach at the time was Garrett Fitzgerald and he was visiting the college for some reason, so we decided to have a sit-down protest while he was there. But then the police came along and started trying to move us, and got very violent. That opened up my eyes to the broader political arena."

Robbie remembers that in his second year, Sinn Féin began to appeal to him when he discovered that they were the only party supporting cleaners who were striking in the college.

Shortly after, Robbie started working in An Phoblacht as a proof-reader. It was while he was doing this job that he identified a mistake in a policy document and was asked to attend a policy development meeting. After that, Robbie started writing for the paper.

"It was a very different writing for the paper in 1991. The war was in full flight and there was a terrible backlash taking place against Catholics. It was a difficult time to be a republican."

In the early '90s, An Phoblacht realised that it needed to improve its economic coverage of issues. "This was my area of interest," says Robbie, " and I took it on board. I started writing about corruption, and it was around this time that I wrote a pamphlet about the Maastricht Treaty."

Robbie soon joined the Ernie O'Malley Cumann. As a member of the cumann, Robbie slipped into the role of selling the papers.

"Every week I'd try to sell Bertie Ahern An Phoblacht, but he'd never buy it. One week I went up to him to sell it, and Kenneth Clarke, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, was sitting with him. Needless to say, he was a bit taken aback," Robbie laughs.

Tackling new roles

Robbie's first big role was the editing down of hundreds of submissions on the Hume/Adams talks, made at public meetings, but he was soon performing a range of tasks for the party.

In 1994, he got 'pulled' into the Steering Committee at the Ard Fheis and after the first cessation was called, Robbie was invited along as Sinn Féin secretary at the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. As part of his role, he researched the areas that people would be discussing.

In 1996, he became involved in the new Policy and Development department. During this time, Robbie taught at the Dublin Institute of Adult Education, before moving on to work at Griffith College as a lecturer in economics, sociology, research and media and technology, eventually becoming Deputy Head of Faculty.

In 1998, he wrote Waste Management Ireland, which is now Sinn Féin's waste management policy document. Then in 1999, Robbie was appointed to InterTradeIreland, the all-Ireland economic body set up after the Good Friday Agreement, and then to the Electoral Strategy Group.

When five TDs were elected to the Dáil in 2002, Robbie was sent in to Leinster House as Policy Research and Development Manager.

Priorities

In January of this year, he was approached to become General Secretary for the party.

Robbie is enthusiastic about his new role.

"My main job is to see that decisions taken by the Ard Comhairle are implemented, and to organise the Ard Fheis, something I've had a good deal of experience with, having been on the Steering Committee.

"I also have to try and coordinate the party in all its different areas. Sinn Féin is known for so many things, its campaigns, being in Leinster House, being in Stormont, its political analysis of international and local affairs, as well as its republican and socialist ideology. It's my job to make sure all parts of the struggle are joined up and running efficiently.

"But I see the position as also being responsible for outreach. Sinn Féin has grown and there have been enormous changes made in the organisational structure. National Administration has taken over a lot of work that the Secretary would traditionally do, so there is now room to develop the role.

Robbie hopes he can help the party develop to be more representative of all sectors in society.

"There are so few women in this party, and that's something I'd like to see change.

"I'm also looking forward to seeing more groundbreaking elections, and hopefully a TD elected for Connaught."

other of Robbie's priorities is to see the party propose more Bills in government.

"In Leinster House, Fianna Fáil are constantly churning out Bills and legislation. That's something I'd like to see happen in the Six Counties when the institutions are restored. We need to let people know how good we can be in government."

Optimistic

Robbie will be leaving Griffith College shortly, so that he can throw himself fully into the role. He will be working out of Sinn Féin's head office in Dublin and he says that he is optimistic about the party's future.

"We are on the verge of changing the political dynamic in the South. We are now the new Left and offer a real alternative to government. I'm delighted to be taking on this role at such an exciting time for Sinn Féin."