Deputy Mary Lou McDonald - speech from 27 Jun 2020

Geur maagut ceann coirle, and can I begin by extending my good wishes to An Thíseach Anish, Deputy Michal Martin, I have no doubt, Thíseach, this is a very proud day for you, for your people, for your community, and can I extend also good wishes to all those who have now been appointed to ministerial office, because no doubt this is a cause for celebration for all of you. Ceann Comhairle, in February last, we presented a manifesto for change to the people, and we asked them to give us a chance to deliver that change, to lead. The people, by way of response, gave us a record mandate, and that was a mandate to enter government, and that was not to be on this occasion, but nonetheless, we have witnessed a realignment of Irish politics, and Sinn Fein, for the first time, will now lead the opposition, and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have formally come together. The widespread expectation that a change election would be followed by the formation of a new government, a government that could deliver the new politics that people are crying out for, and there wasn't to be, because the century-old impulse to grab power, to maintain the old political order, to push back against the instinct and energy for change, so powerfully demonstrated at the ballot box, through Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together. And so, the truth is, they have coalesced, and they have colluded in frustrating the voice of change. And you know, Ceann Comhairle, excluding the representatives of more than half a million citizens is nothing to be proud of, in my book. I don't think it's something that any Democrat should boast about. Indeed, succeeding, installing, or stopping necessary change is really no success at all. It's the mark of narrow, failed politics of the past. And that narrow kind of thinking is reflected in your unambitious programme for government. This will be a government of more of the same. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government is no historical departure. However, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael forced into a loveless embrace by the hopeful vote of the people. Well, that now is the historical point of departure for your government. Some have described this as the end of so-called civil war politics. The reality is that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael today have precious little to do with anything that was at issue in that tragic conflict. The words of Liam Mellows, a patriot himself executed by the Free State, in his speech against the treaty, I think ring very true today. Here's what he said. He said men will hold power, and men who get into positions and hold power will desire to remain undisturbed and will not want to be removed. So for decades, the issue between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil was supposedly maria about civil war issues. But in reality, the ancient quarrel between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael has long since descended into a race for power and for privilege in this state. Forgotten, abandoned in all of this were those who suffered most from the partition of our country, the people of the six counties. Forgotten and abandoned was any plan to achieve full democracy, self-determination and unity for Ireland. And so, the great national project of reunification is not included in your programme for government. Not a whisper from your government, while this conversation about constitutional change happens all across our island. And I think this is especially concerning during the age of Brexit, when the imperative to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all of its parts has never been greater. A united Ireland is the very best idea for the future of our country. It's essential to the prosperity of all our people, because growing our economy requires an all-Ireland approach. Protecting our health services requires an all-Ireland approach. Getting ahead of COVID-19, protecting public health, protecting our people's health requires an all-Ireland approach. And no government, not least an incoming government in this period, should ignore the imperative of unity. It should be, Taoiseach, planning for change, planning for reunification and planning for that referendum on Irish unity, as per the Good Friday Agreement. Count Corlea, the society shaped by the old establishment divides us between the haves and the have-nots, the insiders and the outsiders, the entitled and the rest. And that's why government after government has presided over a housing crisis. It's an indictment of successive governments that housing is so unaffordable for so many. It's also why our health system is broken, crippled by hospital overcrowding, a never-ending trolley crisis and record-breaking treatment waiting lists. It's also why the principle of fairness is breached day and daily in every aspect of Irish life. The Ireland of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is a place where 65-year-olds can't retire in dignity with their state pension. It's one where working parents can't afford childcare, where educational disadvantage is all too prevalent, where citizens living with disabilities and their carers are forgotten, and where those with mental health challenges are left to fend for themselves. And none of this is accidental. All of this is the consequence of bad politics. It's why governments come and governments go, but nothing really changes. Irish politics is broken, and the way of fixing it is by heeding the people's demand for change. The people know this, and they've said in record numbers that the time for change is now, and people are ready for a fresh start. Those who drafted your programme for government, I feel, must live in a different reality to the rest of us. The crises in housing and healthcare dominated the election, and the crisis in both has deepened during the COVID crisis. And on top of that, many families are now facing what has been described as a tsunami of debt, as insurance companies were allowed to continue their rip-off, as banks charged interest to 80,000 families who had to take a mortgage break. So people need homes that they can afford, so Taoiseach and new government build the affordable homes, and make sure that they are actually affordable in the real world. They need to be able to see a doctor when they're sick. So invest in public hospitals, and our public system end the privatisation agenda. What is proposed in your plan, far from tackling these challenges, will only, I believe, deepen our problems. And the issues that mattered most to ordinary people in the course of the election are dodged or fudged. But you have, however, managed to include tax breaks for those at the top in your programme. Fianna Fáil and Fianna Fáil from the get-go have copped out on delivering common-sense solutions for workers and families. The brief enlightenment, which we saw, turn to more progressive decisions during the COVID-19 emergency has been extinguished by your programme for government. For Fianna Fáil and Fianna Fáil, fairness can only ever be a temporary thing, you see. A reaction, rather than a principle of good government. And because of your lack of ambition, this is a government already on borrowed time. And workers and families know that they deserve so much better. And it's that belief that will drive Sinn Féin's determination to deliver effective opposition. We have the policies, Cáncóirle. We have the team, Piers Daugherty has the plan to shape a fair economy. Louise O'Reilly for a National Health Service. Owen O'Brien has the plan to make housing affordable. We are happy to share those plans with you. And if you are serious about tackling these issues, you will work with those plans. I'm very proud to lead our team of 37 TDs, a team committed to realising a changed Ireland, a fair Ireland and a united Ireland. And we will stand up for all of those who voted for change. We'll work hard for them. And it is in their name that we will hold your government to account. Thank you very much.