Sinn Féin’s newest TD enters the Dáil

PEARSE DOHERTY, TEACHTA DÁLA | ‘I HAVE A MANDATE TO OPPOSE ANTI-PEOPLE BUDGET’

Pearse arrives at Leinster House

SINN FÉIN’S newest TD, Pearse Doherty, took his seat in the Dáil on Tuesday 30th November, just a few days after his election by the people of Donegal South-West.
And he started his Dáil term by repeating Sinn Féin’s call for ministers’ salaries to be cut by 40% and TDs’ pay by 20%.
At a press conference in Buswell’s Hotel before he walked across the road and through the gates of Leinster House, Pearse Doherty TD thanked the people of Donegal South-West “for putting their faith in me to represent them in the Dáil. It is a huge honour.”
“I have been given a very clear mandate to oppose the savage anti-people Budget that this Government is planning, to oppose cuts to public services and social welfare and to oppose IMF interference in Ireland.
“I met an incredible number of people during the by-election campaign. Many were in real hardship, struggling to make ends meet. They are living in real fear of this Government’s cuts agenda, an agenda it must be said that is broadly shared by Fine Gael and Labour.
“The problems faced by these people are still there today. Dealing with those problems and those fears, defending the livelihoods of ordinary working families and creating a viable future for our young people to live and work in their own country – that is the challenge which faces us now and that will be my focus in the Dáil.”
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said:
“The people of Donegal South West have clearly endorsed Sinn Féin’s proposals for a better, fairer way forward. They have signalled that the Government must go.
“This Government has no mandate to impose the terrible deal it has negotiated with the IMF and EU.
“Any new government should refuse to honour the terms of the IMF/EU deal and Sinn Féin will seek a mandate in the general election to renegotiate it.
“We will try and bring about a general election as soon as possible.
“This Government must go.”