Mary Lou McDonald: ‘We are Irish republicans, we despise racism, that’s it’

Sinn Féin has been accused in recent times by some commentators, and some party members, of moving to the right on immigration.

Eleven years ago, Paul Murphy, then with the Anti-Austerity Alliance, won the 2014 Dublin South West by election, taking a seat Sinn Féin had expected to win. That had the effect of dragging Sinn Féin to the left on water charges, which in turn put pressure on Fianna Fáil and – ultimately – finished water charges.

Asked in an interview with The Echo whether, in a similar fashion, the emergence of a small but vocal far-right in Ireland has shifted Sinn Féin to the right on immigration policy, Mary Lou McDonald was unequivocal.

“No. The experience of our communities is the thing that has shaped and formed Sinn Féin policy. We are Irish republicans. We despise racism. That’s it.

“That’s our position, and there is no negotiation, there is no lack of clarity, and there is no movement on it,” Ms McDonald told The Echo.

“Every human being is equal, and must be equal in the eyes of the law and society, and treated with dignity and respect, end of story. I don’t care what colour their skin is.” 

The influx of refugees from Ukraine, and the increase in numbers of people seeking international protection, has meant, she said, that, Sinn Féin has had to “interrogate … the effect of this on working class communities, and in so many cases the poorest of the poorest communities”.

“Our policy is, yes, about human rights, it’s about protection, it’s also about recognising that you don't create more hardship, poverty and vulnerability in communities that simply can’t sustain it,” she said.

“If you are a person who has been on a housing list for a decade, if you are a homeless person, if you can’t access a GP or other services, and you have always been told to stand at the back of the queue, and then your community is asked to stretch itself for another community of vulnerable people, of course that is going to cause tension,” Ms McDonald said.

“Our policy is really rooted in respect all around, our policy says acknowledge the communities that you are dealing with, communities where you are introducing or opening up facilities, and respect them.

“That means, for example, in Darndale, or in Coolock, or in other places across the State, where, literally, there are no facilities, there are no supports, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael shouldn’t be coming in, saying to those communities, we’re giving nothing and we’re going to ask for more and more.” 

Government immigration policy was, she said, “ill-conceived from the get-go”.

Sinn Féin’s policy, Ms McDonald said, was to stand with communities.

“We are doing that because you have to reflect the experience of people on the ground, and people who feel they have been left behind, because guess what? They have been left behind.”