Sinn Féin only interested in ‘creating culture of instability’, Donohoe says

Sinn Féin are only interested in “creating a culture of instability” at a time in which “we can see the dangers of instability elsewhere”, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said.

Mr Donohoe said the party, which will table a motion of no confidence in the Government next week, wanted to generate an atmosphere of “challenge and uncertainty”.

The motion of no confidence comes after the loss of the Coalition’s majority when Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh resigned the party whip and voted against the Government on the legislation covering compensation for mica-affected homeowners earlier this week.

Speaking on Friday, Sinn Féin leader Mary McDonald said the current Coalition Government was “out of road” and the “case for, and the need for, a change in Government is unanswerable”.

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Mr Donohoe said over the last two years Ireland had faced “an extraordinary test” due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Government had put in place measures to ensure it recovered.

The Dublin Central TD said in terms of housing, the number of planning permissions that had been granted was increasing as well as the number of homes being built.

“Sinn Féin are only interested in creating a culture of instability at a time in which we can see the dangers of instability elsewhere,” Mr Donohoe told reporters on Friday.

“Families need to see homes being built and they need to have confidence about support they can have about a cost of living crisis. Sinn Féin are interested in creating an atmosphere of challenge, of uncertainty at a time in which we can see the risks of that elsewhere.

“We’re going to go into the Dáil next week, we’re going to put forward our efforts at a time in which the country was tested so much.

“We recognise the challenges that so many face at the moment, but we’re interested in helping, not sowing the seeds of division.”

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said he was looking forward to the opportunity next week to show what the Government has done particularly in the area of housing.

Mr O’Brien said Sinn Féin representatives across the city and county of Dublin had rejected the building of 6,000 homes.

The Dublin Fingal TD said the Government’s €4 billion Housing for All Plan was €1.2bn more than what Sinn Féin had committed to in their housing policy which would mean less social and affordable homes.

“They don’t agree with the Help to Buy scheme, they don’t agree with the First Home scheme, and we’re not even sure they agree with cost rental so I think their record and what they have done on housing will also give us an opportunity to highlight that as well and the differences between d delivery of real homes like this and objecting to homes,” he added.