Sinn Fein’s spokesperson on housing Eoin Ó Broin says that he would love a General Election to be called ‘tomorrow’.
The Dublin Mid-West TD was speaking to LaoisToday from the Sinn Fein tent at the National Ploughing championships.
Deputy Ó Broin said: “I’d like it to be tomorrow. The sooner we have the chance to get rid of this government, the better.”
Sinn Fein gained many seats in the most recent General Election but their progress seems to have slowed in the last few years.
Their rating in the polls has dropped but Ó Broin is confident that they can turn things around.
He said: “Obviously, you always prefer to be going up in the polls than down, the trend is what is really important.
“The thing we didn’t do enough of in the last year and a half is being on the ground and telling people about the positive change we would make if we were in government.
“We are putting much more effort into saying to people that ‘if we were leading a government, this is what we would do and this is how it is different to the government’.
“And then I think it is just back to basics – being on the ground and engaging with people.
“Telling them that the General Election is a choice – the same as what we have or something different.”
He also said that his preference would be to go in government ‘without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael.’
However, the Dubliner did say that he would be willing to talk to these if a clear majority was not reached – but only under certain circumstances.
He said: “Right now, people in rural or urban Ireland are not in a position to put a roof over their head.
“I am only interested in talking to parties who want to enact policies that will change this.”
Sinn Fein in Laois was dealt a blow last month as long-serving Cllr Aidan Mullins announced his withdrawal from the party.
Speaking on this, Deputy Ó Broin said: “I have known Aidan for a long time since I came into the party 30 years ago.
“Political parties are like families. We are coalitions of groups of people.
“And every so often, some people feel, on a point on principal, that they don’t fit in any more.
“That is his decision and I respect it. I think it is unfortunate but that is a matter for himself.”
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