Sinn Féin promises mini-budget, property tax abolition and reducing president's term to 5 years

MARY LOU MCDONALD has said she will not resign if the party fails to enter government stating that the leadership of the party is a matter that is decided by the Ard Fheis. 

Launching the party’s manifesto in Dublin this morning, the party president outlined some key proposals contained in the document which include €10 per day childcare, abolition of the USC on earnings up to €45,000 and 370,000 new homes delivered. 

Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty confirmed that the party will move to abolish the Local Property Tax, first reducing it by 20% in the first year. He pledged €500 million to fill the funding gap. 

Local Property Tax

He defended the plan to abolish the local property tax and said the gap in exchequer funds would be given “from the pot”.

Sinn Fein has pledged to deliver a mini-budget in its first 100 days of government and “real” cost-of-living measures as it unveiled its election manifesto.

Doherty also confirmed that a commitment in the 2020 manifesto to cut the pay of TDs and senators to €75,000 and €65,000 respectively has been dropped by the party. 

The party manifesto also states that the term of the president should be reduced from seven to five years. When asked by the The Journal about the rationale for such a move, McDonald first seemed uncertain about the pledge, asking what page number of proposal was on. 

She went on to state that it is merely about “streamlining” and “modernising” the office, .

“They say a week is a long time in politics, so seven years is many, many eternities,” said McDonald.

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She said the right to vote in the presidential election should also be extended to those living in the North, as well as those living abroad. 

Peer-reviewing RTÉ’s coverage

Challenged on the party’s proposed review of RTE’s coverage of the conflict in the Middle East and other international conflicts, McDonald said the national broadcaster “should be the premier trusted source of information”.

She said she did not see where the line could get murky between editorial independence and oversight.

“It’s about peer review. It’s not about anybody in the world of politics coming in and interfering with editorial decisions,” she said.

“That would be completely and utterly inappropriate,” she added.

She explained that the conflict in Gaza is cited as an example because it is “horrific what we are viewing, and we are viewing it through the prism of the television screen. It is a genocide that is being televised”.

“We think it’s a healthy thing and a necessary thing for conflicts and events like that, that have such immense significance and consequences, that there is an exercise like that in oversight. Far from being an interference, it is a trust and confidence-building matter,” she said. 

“It’s very much a peer. We’re not journalists, we’re political actors, and we fully understand the distinction between ourselves and [the media].” The party leader did not respond when asked why the conflict in Ukraine was not referenced in that particular section.

Sinn Fein spokespeople took aim at Fine Gael and Fianna Fail several times during their opening statements, accusing them of creating a “mess” in housing, of not addressing “wasteful spending” and of copying their policies.

Flanked by senior party spokespeople at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, McDonald said that her party had “the best team on the pitch” and that the moment has come “where history meets opportunity”.

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“Irish unity is a massive chance to harness all the incredible energy, talent and ambition that we have right across this island,” she said, stating that she hopes to enjoy Irish unity for much of her lifetime. 

On housing, she said the party’s plan for temporary and targeted mortgage relief would help “far more homeowners than the schemes in place for Fine Gael or Fianna Fail”.

The manifesto plans to reintroduce a no-fault eviction ban for six months, which will be reviewed after that period.

Doherty spoke about how the party will scrap the carbon tax, which would bring down people’s petrol and diesel bills.  

In terms of health, the party’s health spokesperson David Cullinane said the manifesto “that takes the big bold steps to bring us to a universal healthcare system”.

The party is promising to abolish prescription charges for medical card holders and phase out hospital parking charges.

She said that, if she were taoiseach, she would work with US President-elect Donald Trump, but would “not flinch from raising challenging” issues such as the US arming of Israel and migration policy.

Asked if she would prioritise the enactment of the Defamation Act, she told The Journal it was not “something front and centre” in their manifesto, adding that she has concerns about juries being used such cases. She said reform is needed and she is “not sure if we’d scrap” the proposed legislation as it stands.

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