Sinn Féin won't support cabinet that continues with failed policies
Sinn Féin Dáil Leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has said the Sinn Féin TDs will
not be supporting a Cabinet and a Programme for Government which is set to
continue the failed policies of the previous Fianna Fáil/Progressive
Democrats Government.
Speaking in the Dáil this evening Deputy Ó Caoláin said, "Sinn Féin TDs will
not be supporting a Cabinet and a Programme for Government which is set to
continue these failed policies.
"The Programme for Government will continue the scandalous and disgraceful
hospital co-location scheme. The Green Party election manifesto spoke of the
need to address our two-tier health system; it spoke of access to healthcare
as a basic human right. That should have been a bottom-line issue and it is
a real set back for our health services that the Green Party has signed up
for the privatisation agenda of Fianna Fáil and the PDs.
"The Programme is silent on the disastrous hospital centralisation pursued
by Fianna Fáil and the PDs that has seen local hospitals stripped of
services with more to follow. Sinn Féin will continue to oppose this policy
and champion the demand for equality in healthcare.
"The Green Party has achieved little on issues which it claims as its own -
environment, energy, transport. Much that is in the Programme is a
repetition of measures already in the National Development Plan. There is no
Zero Waste Strategy. There is no commitment to end the robbery of our oil
and gas resources by multinationals and the forcing of the Shell pipeline
through Rossport. The M3 will be forced through historic Tara. There is no
commitment to advance public transport. The failed policies of Ministers
Martin Cullen ad Dick Roche will be continued.
"On Housing, the Programme falls far short of the Green commitment to 10,000
social and affordable housing units per annum until waiting list are
cleared. There is no reform of Part V of the Planning and Development Act.
The programme contains no target for eradicating homelessness. There is no
commitment to a Cost of Disability Living Allowance.
"The programme also fails to fulfil the Green Party commitment to end the
use of Shannon Airport by US military forces involved in the war in Iraq.
There is a tremendous setback for the broad movement who support Irish
neutrality, independent foreign policy and opposition to imperialism.
"The negotiation of the Programme has exposed the myth that there is any
difference between Fianna Fail and the PDs. Fianna Fáil seems to have
negotiated on behalf of the PDs. The symbiotic relationship between the two
parties will continue. The Green Party has been co-opted as an insurance
policy but they may well find themselves sharing the same fate.
"For all these reasons we cannot support the cabinet presented nor the
Programme for Government."
Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin's full speech is detailed below
In the General Election the new Taoiseach did not achieve an overall Fianna
Fáil majority but he has now engineered a comfortable majority based on what
can only be described as a bizarre combination of parties and Independents.
Before going into the composition of the Government and its Programme, I
wish to state that my Sinn Féin colleagues look forward to working with the
new Government in advancing the Irish Peace Process and fully implementing
the Good Friday Agreement and pursuing the cause of Irish unity and national
reconciliation. All members of the Dáil have a role to play in this. The
re-establishment of the Executive closed one chapter in the Peace Process
and opened another. We look forward to the early convening of the
All-Ireland Ministerial Council. We emphasise that this process must proceed
and must accelerate. The future of our people and our island is an
all-Ireland future and the Dáil has a central role to play in this.
Since 1997 Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats have presided over a
booming economy but they have failed miserably to build a fairer society.
Prosperity without equality has widened the gap between the privileged and
the disadvantaged. They have had a full decade to build world-class public
services accessible to all equally - in health, in housing, in education, in
transport, in infrastructure and all delivered with proper planning and
balanced regional development. That should have been the legacy of the past
decade. But instead we have a health service in perpetual crisis, a housing
market that excludes those most in need, unequal access to education,
totally inadequate public transport, flawed infrastructure, poor planning
and unbridled developments in some regions while others are left behind.
The Sinn Féin TDs will not be supporting a Cabinet and a Programme for
Government which is set to continue these failed policies.
The Programme for Government will continue the scandalous and disgraceful
hospital co-location scheme. The Green Party election manifesto made an
unequivocal commitment to "scrap immediately the decision to subsidise
building of private hospitals on public land". It also committed
to "withdraw tax reliefs from private hospitals and reallocate them to
public healthcare provision". The Green manifesto spoke of the
need to address our two-tier health system which discriminates between
insured and uninsured patients. It spoke of access to healthcare as a basic
human right. That should have been a bottom-line issue and it is a real
setback for our health services that the Green Party has signed up for the
privatisation agenda of Fianna Fáil and the PDs.
The Programme is silent on the disastrous hospital centralisation pursued by
Fianna Fáil and the PDs. That has seen local hospitals stripped of services
with more to follow. Sinn Féin will continue to vehemently oppose this
policy and champion of demand for equality in healthcare delivery based on
access for all based on need and need alone.
The Green Party has achieved little on issues which it claims as its own -
environment, energy, transport. Much that is in the Programme is a
repetition of measures already in the National Development Plan. There is no
Zero Waste Strategy. There is a vague commitment to a carbon tax with no
rate and no timetable. There is no commitment to end the scandal of the
robbery of our oil and gas resources by multinationals and the forcing of
the Shell pipeline through Rossport. The M3 will be forced through historic
Tara. There is no commitment to advance public transport to the level which
is so sorely needed. The failed policies of Ministers Martin Cullen and Dick
Roche will be continued.
On Housing, the Programme falls far short of the Green commitment to 10,000
social and affordable housing units per annum until waiting lists are
cleared. There is no reform of Part V of the Planning and Development Act,
something which the Green Party advocated in joining others, including Sinn
Féin, in demanding housing as a right for our people. The Programme contains
no target for eradicating homelessness as advocated by the Make Room
Campaign. There is no commitment to a Cost of Disability Living Allowance.
The Programme for Government also fails to fulfil the Green Party commitment
to end the use of Shannon Airport by US military forces involved in the war
in Iraq. This is a setback for the broad movement in support of Irish
neutrality and sovereignty of which the Green Party was an important part.
But the fight will continue and Sinn Féin will strongly advocate positive
neutrality, independent foreign policy and opposition to imperialism in all
its forms.
The negotiation of the Programme has exposed the myth that there is any
essential difference between Fianna Fáil and the PDs. Fianna Fáil seems to
have negotiated on behalf of the PDs. The symbiotic relationship between the
two parties will continue. The disgraceful co-location scheme may have
emerged from Mary Harney's desk but it has been championed and defended by
the Fianna Fáil Taoiseach and his ministers all along the line. The PDs are
on board because they provide a convenient means for Fianna Fáil to blame
someone else. The Green Party has been co-opted as an insurance policy but
they may well find themselves sharing the same fate as the PDs.
And it is not good for democracy that this coalition will govern with the
aid of agreements with selected Independent Deputies, including Deputy
Healy-Rae, who has described his agreement as a private and personal
document. I wish the people of South Kerry well but they must be aware that
it is very easy to keep a promise when you don't tell people what that
promise is.
A General Election should not be a lottery where the people of your
constituency get the prize if your number comes up. Every citizen in every
constituency has equal rights and the Government is obliged by the
Constitution to govern without fear or favour.
For all these reasons we cannot support the Cabinet presented nor the
Programme for Government.
I want to conclude by thanking all those who put their trust and confidence
in myself and my three colleagues to represent them as Sinn Féin TDs. I
thank all who voted for Sinn Féin candidates in the General Election
throughout this State. I want especially to pay tribute to former Deputy
Seán Crowe, a very dedicated and hard-working Republican. I have no doubt
that before too long he will be back here and that he will be joined by
other Sinn Féin TDs.
The electoral tide ran against us on 24 May, as it did for other smaller
parties and independents. But let those who think they have capsized the
Sinn Féin vessel think again. Our ship is strong and seaworthy and we have
weathered many storms. There was much in the General Election at
constituency level to encourage us. We will be going forward in every
constituency and here in the 30th Dáil, confident in our message and in our
ability to build our party and bring about progressive change in our country.