It’s all “mé féin” for Sinn Féin as they cop out on tough decisions in North– O’Donovan

Fine Gael TD for Limerick, Patrick O’Donovan, has said that Sinn Féin’s reluctance to take the hard decisions in Government in the North shows they lack the resolve and foresight to do the job south of the border.

“The pause button has been pressed on the Northern Assembly since the summer as negotiations on welfare measures have reached a stalemate. Sinn Féin have exposed themselves again as short-sighted populists unwilling to take the tough decisions.

“Being in Government means taking the tough decisions, it means thinking about what is best for the state as a whole and it means sometimes having to sacrifice short term popularity for greater goals.

“Minister for Finance, Simon Hamilton MLA, in a statement in July conceded that there is immense pressure on the public finances but said that “ dogma and political opportunism have prevailed, and this will undoubtedly impact on public services here over the rest of this financial year and beyond.”

“Rather than risking being unpopular, Sinn Féin are jeopardising the Northern Assembly and they are subjecting taxpayers to a potential fine of £87 million from Westminster.

“For the past three years Sinn Féin have been criticising the Government here for taking the difficult decisions. Last week’s economic figures confirmed that these policies are working and instead of acknowledging the potential of the economic recovery, Sinn Féin representatives are calling for irresponsible giveaways.

“It’s all about mé féin when it comes to Sinn Féin – they cannot or they will not make the tough decisions and I don’t think that’s the kind of governance we need on this side of the border.”