Shane Ross and Independent Alliance refuse to rule out going into coalition with Sinn Féin – Shatter

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown, Alan Shatter, has warned voters that a vote for Shane Ross and his fellow Independent Alliance candidates could amount to a vote for Sinn Féin.

“Deputy Ross today refused to rule out the possibility of going into Government with Sinn Féin while his fellow Independent Alliance candidate, Diarmuid O’Flynn, said that he would work with Sinn Féin in government.

“By failing to rule out the possibility of going into coalition with Sinn Féin, Shane Ross has made it clear that his Independent Alliance would be willing to put Gerry Adams into government in order to get themselves in on his coat tails.  Voters should be aware that in voting for an Independent Alliance candidate that they could in fact be putting Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin into government.

“The prospect of a Sinn Féin dominated government propped up by, among others, the Independent Alliance is a recipe for chaos and instability. That’s before we factor in the unique demands of Shane Ross and his colleagues if they were to get into government.

“Shane Ross has said that he would love to be a Government Minister but has said that he would only selectively attend portions of Cabinet meetings in order “not to be captured” by the larger Dáil parties.  It is a ludicrous idea that any Government Minister could selectively absent themselves from Cabinet discussions to enable them to disassociate themselves from unpopular or controversial decisions made in the public interest; to continue to indulge the politics of protest and resistance; and to avoid political responsibility for government decisions taken.  This is taking protest politics and populism to its most ridiculous extreme. No government could function and be accountable to the people if its Ministers carried on like this.  

“The Independent Alliance candidates are an ideologically disparate bunch of politicians who have banded together in order to increase their chances of election and high office.  As with other Independents who have supported governments, they are keen to pursue their own local agendas and are extremely disparate on important national issues. For example they cannot even agree on whether to increase or decrease corporation tax.

“Shane Ross is keen to make a virtue of their disharmony by saying that they welcome diverse views.
However if you intend having a role in government decisions you must have agreed positions on key policy areas such as Corporation Tax or whether, where there is a major risk of jury intimidation, the DPP can continue to prosecute serious criminal offences before the Special Criminal Court where there is no jury. The Independent Alliance don’t and this is a recipe for chaos.

“People know exactly what they will get with Fine Gael. We have a long term plan to keep the recovery going which will deliver more new jobs, spread right across the country which will pay more than welfare; and affordable, sustainable improvements in services.

What we now know is that a vote for the Independent Alliance could halt the recovery in its tracks, bring political chaos to the heart of Government and increase the likelihood that Gerry Adams could be the next Taoiseach in a Sinn Fein led Government.”