Policy issues and not the prospect of office would determine Sinn Féin's attitude to coalition government, a senior party representative claimed in Dublin yesterday.
"For us, the priority during and after the election will be to set out Sinn Féin policy, to gain a mandate for that and then to see that those policies are implemented," Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald told The Irish Times.
She predicted that the party would be in a Dublin-based government at some future stage.
Asked specifically about the aftermath of the next election she said she did not know because "we don't know how the numbers are going to shake down".
But, she added, whichever election it's after, or whatever point it is that Sinn Féin is looking to go into government, the party membership will take the decision and more importantly, Sinn Féin would only be signing up to a governmental arrangement where there was a programme for government that actually "delivered on our political project".
After the last election, Sinn Féin voted against the nomination of Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach. Regardless of whether it is in a position to go into government, the party will be asked to vote on the position of Taoiseach if it has representatives in the next Dáil. Ms McDonald said the ardchomhairle or executive council would make a decision on that, "as and when it arises".
Alternative political ap- proaches to the European Union will be the subject of a one-day conference in Dublin on September 9th, hosted by Sinn Féin and its partners in the European Parliament's United Left/Nordic Green Left group. In addition to SF speakers, participants will include Labour MEP for Dublin Proinsias De Rossa,director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland Martin Territt, Phillip O'Connor of the European Anti Poverty Network and trade union officials.