Ireland’s Future: Plenty of Work to Do

a Chara,

After two and a half days of counting the results are in from the Irish General election. Sinn Féin made an overall gain of two seats leaving the party as the second largest in the Dáil (parliament), the biggest group of Sinn Féin TDs to enter Leinster House in over a century

Fianna Fáil took the position of largest party and looks set to form a government with their former coalition partners Fine Gael. The third party of the outgoing government, the Green Party had their vote decimated losing 11 of their 12 seats.

Between them, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are short of an overall majority and will be reliant on either some independents or one of the smaller parties to make up the government numbers.

The two parties have been briefing that it will be the New Year before a government is formed.

While this election has not moved the dial in terms of government this time, it does continue a historic trend. For almost one hundred years Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael swapped roles in government and opposition. Ireland was a two-party state.

Over the past twenty years, all has changed. In the 2002 election, the two parties won 112 seats and Sinn Féin returned 5. This year Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had a combined seat share of 86 and Sinn Féin returned 39.

The reaction of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to the rise of Sinn Féin has been to rule out ever going into government with Sinn Féin. This is a very blatant attempt to portray a vote for Sinn Féin as a wasted vote.

This is not a new tactic. For years the British Government and other parties refused to recognise the mandate of Sinn Féin. Unionists refused to countenance working with the party’s elected representative even in local councils. The media and his own party widely criticized John Hume for talking with Gerry Adams.

Their tactics failed, and support for Sinn Féin grew until the party could no longer be sidelined.

The position of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to rule out even talking to the second-largest party is fundamentally anti-democratic. That is not to say that any agreement between the parties and Sinn Féin would be possible, but the democratic choice of people must be respected.

It looks like we will now have a continuation of the same parties in the government, with the same policies and with the same crises. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have refused to plan, prepare, or advocate for Irish Unity.

There is a need to build a viable alternative to these two parties. To engage with others and inspire the electorate to know that real change is possible.

Supporters of Irish Unity can and must hold the incoming government to account. Your voice can be heard to make sure any agreed programme for government must include concrete steps to promote and prepare for Irish unity.

I hope that you have a restful weekend because we have plenty of work to do. If you are in the NY or DC area, you can register for one of the next Irish Unity People’s Assemblies and join the conversation. Events in more cities will be announced in the new year.

Have a great weekend.

Is mise,

Ciarán

Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America