Prose in the North, poetry in the South: The Sinn Féin Way – Doherty

“Sinn Féin is trying to have it both ways, governing in prose in the North but campaigning in poetry in the South,” according to Regina Doherty, Fine Gael TD for Meath East. Budget details announced today in Belfast will result in 20,000 public sector job cuts in Northern Ireland at a time when the party here is calling for increased public sector pay.

“News that a budget deal in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Féin is in government,  will result in 20,000 public sector jobs cuts at a time when the party supports public sector pay increases in the South demonstrates Sinn Féin’s total hypocrisy.

“Sinn Féin consistently takes a very different approach to governing in Northern Ireland and campaigning in the Republic. Sinn Féin is implementing austerity in the North, where the party claims to fight Tory cuts but in reality accepts Tory bailouts.

“Sinn Féin has displayed unbelievable hypocrisy in their policy stances north and south of the border. In the North it has maintained and increased a high level of property tax, imposed public sector pay freezes and a range of other cuts. It’s a case of prose in the North and poetry in the South.

“The reality here is that Sinn Féin policies would kill jobs. Their most recent alternative budget proposed €1.7bn in new taxes on work, enterprise and entrepreneurship. This contrasts with Fine Gael’s desire to make work pay. This month all workers, including the self-employed, will see more in their pay packet thanks to cuts to income taxes and USC.

“The reason we are implementing our plan to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce unemployment is to ensure that everyone feels the benefits of recovery and so we can ultimately create a better country.”