Easter 1916 Proclamation is the programme that drives Sinn Féin

THE NORTH’S PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT - INTERVIEW WITH FORMER ACTING DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER JOHN O’DOWD

BY MARK MULLAN

DURING his brief stint as acting deputy First Minister, John O’Dowd MLA was thrust into the middle of the negotiations which ultimately delivered the North’s Programme for Government (PFG) and agreement on issues such as the Education and Skills Authority and the Review of Public Administration, which had long bedevilled the political process.
Now back in his post as Education Minister, the Upper Bann MLA welcomes the progress that has been made and argues that the PFG in particular can be a tool to advance republican and social objectives within the Assembly.
“The Programme for Government is a positive document which gives us a good platform to work on in the term ahead,” John said.
“As republicans, we obviously welcome the fact that equality is at the heart of this document because although the PFG clearly recognises the need to grow our economy, it is clear that this must happen in such a way that those in greatest need feel the benefit.
“This PFG recognises that building economic growth and competitiveness must be mirrored by creating a society based on partnership, equality, inclusion, regional balance, mutual respect and environmental sustainability.
“The PFG also recognises the need to work on an all-Ireland basis as a way of finding our way out of recession and building a stable economy.
“Equality is now part of the vocabulary of the Civil Service in Stormont. It is enshrined in every department, every policy and every paper. It is at the heart of this document and it is in all those places because Sinn Féin put it there.
“Of course, no one is arguing that the PFG is a republican or a revolutionary blueprint. Far from it. There is no doubt that a Sinn Féin programme would look very different from one agreed with the DUP.
“But we have brought much to the document. Things like social clauses and the Social Protection Fund. And we will continue to pursue an all-Ireland and Sinn Féin agenda within our departments, the committees, the all-Ireland Ministerial Council and every other sphere of struggle.”
Nevertheless, John O’Dowd stresses that republicans must recognise that a Programme for Government that is developed within the Assembly will inevitably reflect the opportunities and constraints within which we operate in that institution.
“Fiscal control is still retained in London so the Executive does not yet have the necessary economic levers to effect the kind of radical change that we want to see.
“That is the context in which we operate and it should serve as a constant reminder to us all that we need to continue to build our political strength right across the island. We may be in government in the North and the leading voice of the opposition in the South but we are still a party in struggle and there is still much to do.
“Despite that, the people of the island are quite rightly looking to us for real and meaningful change - now more that ever. And we — as elected representatives, as activists, but most of all as republicans — have a duty to do all we can to achieve the maximum level of positive change that we can for the people we represent.
“The Programme for Government is a useful tool in helping us to do that. It is a template for departments and will help us to pursue a progressive agenda within each department during this term of the Assembly.
“But it is only a tool and it is up to us to ensure it is used effectively. Like any policy or programme, the real challenge is in the implementation and that is how this PFG — and Sinn Féin as a party — will be judged. While recognising the limitations we face, we are still determined to drive forward real, meaningful change during this term of the Assembly. We want to see tangible progress on the all-Ireland agenda. We want positive change to the lives of the people we represent. We want greater and fairer investment in our communities. And we want an end to the barriers which prevent our young people becoming all that they can be. We want the people of Ireland to be masters of their own destiny, free from the IMF, Whitehall and the selfish vested interest of the British Treasury.
“That is the challenge that we set ourselves every day and we need to be able to look back at the end of this term and know that we have advanced the struggle for the Irish Republic as set out in the Easter Proclamation. Because, when all else is said and done, that is a Programme for Government any government could be justly proud of.”