Our moment in time to change and unite Ireland

The next twelve months promise to be one of the most significant periods in the history of Irish politics. We are on our marks for a General Election that could happen at any time, the Local and European Elections take place next summer, and a Westminster Election will quickly follow. All of these campaigns represent an immense opportunity to advance the journey to a new and united Ireland; an Ireland that is stronger, fairer, and better for all our people. 

The groundswell for change has gained an unstoppable momentum over the last three years. There is a huge appetite amongst ordinary people right across Ireland to make political change a reality. 

Last year’s Assembly Elections and the recent Council elections in the North shows what is possible. We are now the largest political party in the Assembly and in local government in the North. Sinn Féin’s positive message of making politics work for all and getting the Executive back up and working for everyone was endorsed by the people. The challenges are clear, and we remain committed to the politics of progress and partnership. It’s time for the DUP to accept the democratic outcome of the elections, end its boycott and get back around the Executive table to deliver good government for all.

These historic electoral successes weren’t inevitable nor did they happen by chance. Republicans made it happen through hard work and dedication to positive, uplifting politics focused on delivering real improvements in people’s lives and creating a better future for everyone.

• It’s time for the DUP to accept the democratic outcome of the elections, end its boycott, and get back around the Executive table to deliver good government for all

This year presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to achieve similar success in the South. There is now a very real prospect of a new government without Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for the first time in a 100 years. Both the General and Local Election will allow voters to call time on the repeated failures of these parties and back and to back Sinn Féin to deliver a new government that puts workers, families, and communities first.

Despite the hardship created by a perpetual housing disaster and a crushing cost of living, people believe that things can be far better. They know that our young people shouldn’t face the pain of forced emigration and should instead be able to build a decent and secure future here at home. 

The reason these crises persist and worsen is because Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in power. The longer they remain in office, the worse things will get. This is a tired, out of touch government so locked into the past that it is unable to seize the immense opportunities that exist for Ireland over the next decade. You only have to look at the ongoing fiasco surrounding the National Children’s Hospital to recognise that the inertia and incompetence is off the charts. 

Increasingly, people see that these parties are incapable of taking Ireland forward to the next level. I have no doubt that the forthcoming budget will be an election budget for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. A budget not focused on tackling the real problems, but one aimed instead at buying votes in a self-serving last-ditch effort to cling to power.

The last thing workers and families need is a cynical auction budget that takes people for fools. We need a new political leadership with the energy and determination to make positive change happen in the areas that really matter to workers and families. Sinn Féin is ready to provide the energy, the determination, the leadership.

Any government that I would lead as Taoiseach will roll up its sleeves and get down to the work of solving the housing crisis, of building strong and fair public health service, of taking real action on the cost of living crisis and of growing opportunity for all. We would work night and day to get the fundamentals right and to implement ambitious plans for the future.

• Sinn Féin are on their marks for a General Election that could happen at any time. Local and European Elections take place next summer, and a Westminster Election will quickly follow

Our goal as republicans is to ensure that every person has the chance to reach their full potential in life through the development of a modern economy driven by well-paid jobs and strong workers’ rights and through accessible world class education at every level and we would ensure that people are supported, protected, and lifted back up if they fall on hard times. We are committed to the belief that no person should be left behind as we build Ireland’s success. This belief will be the driving force of a Sinn Féin led government intent on creating a new era of equality, opportunity, and prosperity.

Sinn Féin is a party of activists rooted in our communities. We are also a party of nation builders with our eyes firmly on the prize of uniting our country and our people in our time. A Sinn Féin government would put a United Ireland at the very top of the agenda and keep it there. Irish Unity is core to the radical, progressive change sweeping across Ireland.

These are exciting, extraordinary times. We are living in the end days of Partition. It’s a chance we won’t miss. As the momentum for Unity grows, the next 12 months place an onus on each and every one of us to have the challenging conversations and debates with our friends and families, and to build alliances for unity in our communities and everywhere we can. There is also an onus on both governments to catch up. To the Irish government I say again, now is the time to establish a Citizens Assembly on Irish Unity.

As we approach this crucial period in our political journey, we do so with confidence, enthusiasm, and belief. Never before has the appetite for republican politics been stronger; the vision of the Republic of 1916 shines brightly in the hearts of ordinary people. As more and more people put their faith in Sinn Féin, their expectations of us grow and rightly so. They are counting on us and it is our job to deliver for them.

As the Dáil returns this month, we will continue to hold this failed government to account and to advance republican politics in Leinster House. However, the historic task of changing Ireland must radiate out beyond the gates of the Oireachtas onto our streets and into our communities. The job of changing Ireland is the job of activists brimming with enthusiasm to build a better future. 

So, friends, seize the day. Knock on the doors, deliver the newsletters, join the demonstrations, and drive the campaigns. It is up to every Sinn Féin activist to play their part in making change happen, no matter how big or how small. When we achieve our new and united Ireland, we will look back and know that it was in these days that we won a better tomorrow for all our people. This is our moment to push the boundaries. Our moment to demand even more of ourselves. Our moment in time to transform Ireland together and for each other. 

As our dear friend and comrade Rita O’Hare once said, “We keep going. The road to a United Ireland is ahead.”