Strong opposition aims to hold coalition accountable

Sinn Fein TD Imelda Munster says the fact that her party has been excluded from Government will make them all the more determined to fight for the change the Irish people voted for.

“If they are determined to keep us from power then we are even more determined to be the most robust opponents possible – the strongest opposition party in the history of the state, in fact,” says Deputy Munster. “This is not the change people voted in their thousands for, and this grubby little deal is an attempt to hold onto power at any cost, and they are fools if they think we won’t hold them accountable at every move.”

She says Fianna Fail and Fianna Gael have been in power for the past four years – one in Government and the other propping the other up – and they haven’t achieved what they promised.

“They didn’t solve the problems in the health service or the homeless crisis, or education, the list goes on,” she adds. “They also still have met the challenges faced by SMEs (small to medium businesses) in this country, which are the ones hit hardest by the recent crisis.”

She is not concerned at the prospect of there only being one local TD in Government out of five.

“You look at Fine Gael and Fergus O’Dowd being in power for the past four years, and we still haven’t got the Northern Cross Route in Drogheda, in fact, what have they delivered of any great substance here at all,” she asks angrily. “It’ll be down to me and the others to pursue what is needed for the town and county, just like I did when I get at the Minister for Justice for the extra gardai for Drogheda when we needed them.

“It’ll be issues like that I will continue to put pressure on as the strongest opposition.”

Labour TD Ged Nash returned to the Dail in the last election after a spell as a Senator, and says even though his party is smaller then it was, they will still hold the coaltion accountable if necessary.

“We will be a constructive opposition and not a populist one, and we will point out failings in a proposal if we sit them , but if it looks well, we will be positive and support it,” says Deputy Nash.

“We will not however be supporting a Sinn Fein Taoiseach, and I feel that Fine Fail and Fine Gael are still fighting the last war and not this one, and are both obsessing on reducing the deficit and with totally different conditions from 2011, should be borrowing and investing in housing education and transport.”

He is not concerned about having only one of five TDS in power, as he says they should all be working together for change.

“What we really need is a Minister from Louth, but that will be a matter for the Taoiseach, but for the first time in our history, we have three TDs for Drogheda and we need to co-operate for what’s best for the town,” he says.

“It is vital that funding is secured for the Northern Cross Route, and I know Louth County Council put forward a good case and I will be lobbying the Minister to move the project on.”

He adds that he is hugely disappointed that there has been no commitment on City Status for the town, or a restoration of the borough council to Drogheda.

“This is a hige opportunity for us to shine, if we can secure Government funding and I will continue to put pressure on the Minister, particularly for the restoration of our borough council in Drogheda, as I did in 2017 and 2018.”

THIS IS NOT THE CHANGE PEOPLE VOTED FOR, AND THIS GRUBBY LITTLE DEAL IS AN ATTEMPT TO HOLD ONTO POWER AT ANY COST - DEPUTY MUNSTER