SINN FÉIN was intent on showing leadership and resolving economic difficulties rather than competing with other parties such as Fianna Fáil, party leader Gerry Adams has said.
“There is a bit of a focus on ‘competition’ between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. We’re not Fianna Fáil, we’re Sinn Féin, we’re the republican party in this Dáil.”
The Louth TD told a news conference in Dublin yesterday that “the need to show leadership, to work our way out of these difficulties, is greater and bigger than any of the rivalries that go on as part of the normal electoral competition”.
Mr Adams declined to comment on remarks by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Irelandearlier that Sinn Féin was "cynical" and a "party of protest".
“We’re facing into an autumn which, unfortunately, because this Government is implementing Fianna Fáil policies, is going to see more distress heaped upon citizens.”
He continued: “Cutting your way out of recession never works and expecting working people, citizens, to bear the brunt of the social consequences of its policies is wrong, it’s unfair.”
The party would be preparing a pre-budget submission. The Government was talking about cuts of almost €4 billion and this would cause “huge hardship”.
Asked if the party’s pre-budget submission would outline the ways in which Sinn Féin would achieve up to €4 billion in cuts, Mr Adams said: “We don’t necessarily believe that there should be €4 billion in cuts, first of all. But we will be putting forward costed proposals.”
The initial requirement was jobs stimulus: “How on earth can you continue to cut and cut and cut? What sort of society is going to be left at the end of all of that?”
Finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the Sinn Féin submission would be “very different” from the proposals of the parties in Government and Fianna Fáil.
“We do believe there is additional scope to increase the tax revenue in the State from those that have the ability to pay more, particularly those [with incomes] above €100,000 and the introduction of a wealth tax,” he said.