A LIMERICK TD has claimed that Sinn Féin must have a secret stash of billions of euros and an endless supply of resources in which to build over 100,000 social homes.
Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell was reacting to a comment from Mary Lou McDonald that she sees no problem with the State directly building and funding 100,000 social houses over a span of five years.
“Sinn Féin’s reckless plans to impose rent and price controls, ban external and internal investment funds completely disregards sensible economic planning,” Deputy O’Donnell maintained.
“In reality, Sinn Féin consistently object to housing projects so they’d be the first obstacle to their own uncosted proposals.”
He also took the view that the Sinn Féin leader’s “striking and aloof” response that money or resources are “not the issue” is not grounded in reality.
“It is clear Sinn Féin haven’t a clue how to manage and safeguard an economy and will absolutely wreck our financial future.
“Sinn Féin are yet again putting forward unworkable and uncosted policies that would lead to the financial and economic destruction of this country if they were imposed.”
O’Donnell predicted that Sinn Féin would crash the country and “destroy our competitive, consistent, and transparent corporate tax regime and foreign direct investment”.
“Undoubtedly, we’d witness firms leaving Ireland, along with the jobs and opportunities they generate. Trade would plummet.
“Sinn Féin cannot be trusted. They are a high tax, anti-jobs party who would wreck the economy if given the chance. Fine Gael will never go into Government with Sinn Féin – they are incompatible,” he insisted.
However, Limerick Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan hit back at Deputy O’Donnell’s comments as desperate and ridiculous, saying they clearly demonstrate that Fine Gael are in total panic mode.
“I think he has no sense of irony. He has talked about a secret stash of billions of euros as his political party squanders vast amounts of taxpayer’s money on a hospital that has yet to be completed.
“Costs on that hospital are so high that the Taoiseach is afraid to say how much the total will be,” Deputy Quinlivan suggested.
“Fine Gael have been in Government for nearly 12 years and have utterly failed on housing, health and planning for a stable economy.
“Working people are being told by the Government to make applications for Exceptional Needs Payments to pay their regular household bills. The budget offered financial gestures to many, but these token amounts were swallowed up by the rising cost of inflation. The Government is so out of touch with the ordinary people it is astounding.
“It is under the watch of the government that Deputy O’Donnell is part of that we see over 11,000 people including thousands of children recorded as homeless in the run up to Christmas. Thousands more are on housing waiting lists across the state and it is under his supposed pro-business government that Small Medium Enterprises are facing catastrophic energy bills.
“Deputy O’Donnell’s party has destroyed the hopes of many, which is the reason why thousands of young people are feeling forced to move abroad to seek better opportunities for themselves.
“Fine Gael have spent the last number of years robbing a future here in Ireland for so many of our young people. Therefore, we will take no lectures from him about economic performance”.
