Mary Lou McDonald says a government led by Sinn Féin will ‘get the job done’ on housing

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said housing was her party’s “number one priority” as she told delegates at the party’s ardfheis in Athlone on Saturday that the party would “roll up our sleeves and get the job done”.

“The stark choice at the next election is between a worsening housing crisis under this Government or a new government led by Sinn Féin that will fix housing once and for all,” Ms McDonald told 1,500 delegates in her televised address.

Ms McDonald also devoted a substantial section of her speech to the situation in Gaza, condemning the Israeli assault as “barbaric, hateful, cowardly war crimes” and insisting that “the Irish Government should take the lead and refer Israel to the International Criminal Court”.

“When the European Commission gives carte blanche to Israel to massacre Palestinians we say, no, never,” Ms McDonald said. “They do not speak for us.”

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But she also called for hostages held by Hamas to be released, and described the attacks on Israel on October 7th as “horrific”.

“Israel must stop its slaughter in Gaza. Hamas must release all hostages. Ceasefires must be called,” she said.

Earlier the ardfheis was addressed by the Palestinian ambassador who was given a prolonged standing ovation after she made an emotional address in which she described the situation in Gaza as a “living hell”.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid addressed delegates just before lunchtime on Saturday, and described the continual bombardment by the Israeli military of Gaza as relentless, resulting in a catastrophic loss of lives. “Israel doesn’t spare any living person or object in Gaza. This is beyond rage and revenge,” she said.

After her speech Dr Abdalmajid was embraced by Ms McDonald and deputy party leader Michelle O’Neill. As she departed the hall at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, she was also embraced by former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, who was wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.

Introducing Dr Abdalmajid, the Sinn Féin foreign affairs spokesman Matt Carthy led the delegates in chanting “in our thousands and in our millions, we are all Palestinians”.

Earlier Ms McDonald denied there is a policy in her party to take legal actions for defamation against the media, and also rejected “out of hand” the accusation that she herself has taken legal actions in order to deter media scrutiny.

She was answering questions about a legal action initiated this week by Dublin TD Chris Andrews against The Irish Times and journalist Harry McGee. Mr Andrews’ lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions taken by Sinn Féin representatives against media outlets and political opponents. The Irish Times is defending the action.

When it was put to the Sinn Féin leader that she had been accused of taking a “SLAPP” action, a strategic lawsuit against public participation, she said: “I have done no such thing and I reject that out of hand.”

Ms McDonald has initiated legal action against RTÉ and her husband has taken an action against Shane Ross, author of a biography of the Sinn Féin leader.

At the weekend the National Union of Journalists added its voice to criticism of Sinn Féin over the action by Mr Andrews. The Irish secretary of the NUJ, Séamus Dooley, described it as a “sinister development”.