Sinn Fein shrugs off IRA controversy to tie for first place in Irish election exit polls
SINN FÉIN shrugged off a controversy related to its IRA past during the last week of the campaign to tie for first place in the exit poll for the Irish general election.
The party benefited from a significant swing to the Left among young voters to tie with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil with all three parties on 22 per cent.
Efforts to form a government are likely to be protracted as there is no clear winner. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have ruled out entering into a coalition with Sinn Féin.
Sinn Féin surged in popularity during the election by appealing to young voters in particular. It claimed that it was the only party that could break the Fine Gael-Fianna Fail duopoly – the two parties have been in government since the foundation of the state.
Sinn Féin’s campaign was mired in controversy in the last week over what senior party members knew about a murder allegedly committed by the IRA 13 years ago. However, on the basis of the exit poll, its support held up despite the controversy.
The ruling Fine Gael party is poised for heavy losses. It is understood that a number of Cabinet ministers are in danger of losing their seats.
Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, failed to connect with voters during the campaign. Even though the economy boomed under Fine Gael and Mr Varadkar was widely praised for his handling of Brexit negotiations, the electorate had a different set of priorities.
There is a chronic shortage of housing in Ireland and the 17-34 age cohort are unable in many cases to afford rent in Dublin and other cities. The prospect of buying a house is a remote possibility for many.
Sinn Féin’s pledge to build 100,000 social and affordable homes over the next five years helped broaden its appeal beyond its traditional working class base.
There is also chaos across the health sector and hospital waiting lists have reached record levels.
Talks to form a government could take months. Any potential coalition needs a minimum of 80 seats to form a parliamentary majority.