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Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has indicated Sinn Féin voters should consider transferring to parties such as the Social Democrats and People Before Profit.
As parties shore up their final messages to voters in advance of polling tomorrow, her comments will be seen as a significant intervention and a potential overture to partners in government talks.
Speaking to reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin, where Sinn Féin held its first election press engagement three weeks ago, Ms McDonald was asked to elaborate on her view that Sinn Féin voters should support parties of change.
“I think each constituency will differ, but I think we can identify parties like the Social Democrats which would share ideas on housing and other policies, People Before Profit candidates of the left, some other Independent candidates,” she said.
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She accused government parties of “scaremongering” on the economy in the run-in to polling day, with warnings about the potential of economic shocks from Fine Gael in particular a “mark of desperation”.
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Asked about potential coalition partners for her party, and what her path to power would be, she said she was going to talk to everybody once all had gathered their own mandate. “I’m not making eyes at anyone,” she said. “I believe in absolute fidelity to my cause,” she said, joking: “We’re not at the flirtatious stage just yet. We have to get to first base before we pass it.”
Green Party
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has said “it’s very clear that smaller parties and Independents are going to be crucial in the formation of next government” and “smaller parties can be absolutely pivotal”.
He said people would have to ask what sort of smaller party they wanted whether it was a progressive party like the Greens “that shows it delivered on its priorities but also created stability? Or do you want parties that are what brings to the right, whether it’s anti climate, whether it’s anti choice, whether it’s anti equality, but also are so incoherent in themselves that you won’t have that element of stability as well”.
Mr O’Gorman a TD for Dublin West said “the Green Party represents the best value for your vote”.
He said: “People recognise the influence we’ve had in this Government… We’ve been able to deliver a huge amount of our policies, far more than any smaller party has been able to deliver.”
Social Democrats
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who has been campaigning while nine months pregnant, posted a video on social media on Thursday while she said she was travelling to Cork University Maternity Hospital for a check-up.
“I can feel the swell of support behind the party,” she said. “It’s coming from a place of people just wanting a party that will address these issues on housing, health, disability”.
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