Ireland’s Future: Winds of Change

a Chara,

The Irish election campaign is well underway. Posters are up and doors are being knocked. It is a short campaign, one week down and two to go.

There are no paid-for TV or radio ads. Each party receives a set amount of media slots. The cost of the campaign for all of the parties would be a fraction of the spend of a single Congressional race.

Sinn Féin relies on party activists to hang posters and canvass doors. I have been out on the campaign over the past week. The atmosphere is different from the local elections in June with a focus on government and the future.  

The election of 2020 was an earthquake moment in Irish political history. Sinn Féin was returned as the largest party.  

Since Ireland was divided over 100 years ago, versions of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have controlled government. Up until the election of 2020 they also controlled the official opposition.

With no real policy difference, they were interchangeable, one in Government, the other in opposition. Following the 2016 general election, Fianna Fáil, nominally the opposition kept a minority government of Fine Gael in power. All pretense of difference was gone. Following the 2020 election, both parties entered a coalition government to exclude the largest party Sinn Féin. They even agreed to rotate Taoisigh with each party taking a turn at the highest office without an election.

The selection of a record number of 71 candidates is a statement of intent by Sinn Féin. After 100 years of the same parties in government, there is an alternative. A change of Government is possible.

Sinn Féin is seeking the opportunity to deliver real change in people’s lives. As Party President Mary Lou McDonald recently said, “we have the plans, we have the people, we just need the opportunity.”

Housing is the dominant issue. Vastly increased rents and house prices under the government of Finna Fáil and Fine Gael is causing real hardship for families, increasing homelessness, and undermining the economy and public services. We are again seeing a generation leaving Ireland. As one father said to be on the doorstep, “I’m ok, I have a home, but I cannot say that my children will have the same opportunity.”

The parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael believe the election is a foregone conclusion and are fighting over positions in government.

I hope the winds of change that I have heard over the past week pick up and sweep Sinn Féin into government.

We have two weeks left and all to play for.

Have a great weekend.

Is mise,

Ciarán

Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America