Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As always, I welcome the opportunity to speak in the Chamber. I am particularly glad to speak on the Finance (Local Property Tax Repeal) Bill 2013, which is on the Order Paper in the name of Deputy Pearse Doherty. I commend Sinn Féin on its evolution over the years into a mainstream political party, an evolution that could not have been imagined when I was born in 1978, or, indeed, for much of my life, including my political life. Evolution, however, means discarding old processes, symptoms and habits that are not fit for the modern era. That includes old-style politics. The vitally-needed peace process on this island, worked on tirelessly and peacefully by all parties in the Chamber, has created an environment in which people are willing to listen to Sinn Féin and give it a chance. I have no problem with that and worked very constructively with the party at local authority level for many years.

Protest politics, the politics of populism and being against everything have brought Sinn Féin 17 seats in the Dáil and Seanad and 54 seats on local authorities and, like Robert Redford in the film "The Candidate", many genuine, thinking members of the party are asking themselves "what do we do now?". Their answer is to reach for the magic pen at every opportunity. This is the pen that dreams up all these imaginary figures, jobs, stimulus plans and legislative provisions, which are simply not possible. The politics of protest and courting popularity are tempting and easy. It would be an easy route for anyone to take. As the late Robert Kennedy, assassinated 45 years ago this month, told us, 20% of the people are against everything all of the time. The safe, comfortable and cynical place in politics is to play to that 20% all of the time. It is not honest politics, however, and it does not deliver real results that make a difference in people's lives. It is certainly not leadership. Worse than pandering to the 20% who disagree with everything is the creation of false hope. That is what the party is doing. We had it from Fianna Fáil previously. When it gave people false hope, they ran out and borrowed money based on false pretences, low taxes and thinking they would have high wages for the rest of their lives. Sinn Féin is as bad.

Many good decent workers for their own local communities in Sinn Féin know why the property tax was introduced. They know the historical underfunding and lack of real powers suffered by local government. Sinn Féin has often called by way of council motions and press statements up and down the country for more footpaths, lights, ramps, public parks, street cleaning, local services and better, safer public water. These demands are the battlecries of Sinn Féin councillors and Oireachtas Members up and down the country and they will grow louder over the next 49 weeks or so as we face into the local elections. All parties do it, as will Sinn Féin. Government, national or local, is not a deep bottomless well of money or solutions. Deputy Doherty knows that as an able handler of finance who knows his stuff. It is amazing that he would invent a Bill like this, as if it were possible to wash away the property tax. In efforts to win back our economic sovereignty from the trioka, the country and, more important, the politicians who serve in it should recall better than most the old saying that money does not grow on trees. In presenting this simplistic, cynical and false-hope raising Bill today, Sinn Féin displays its ignorance of or, worse, indifference to the state of the country. Deputy Adams gets great publicity from his stories about his teddy bear, but the Bill proves that all of Sinn Féin's members believe in fairy tales. Their vision for Ireland is one of endless rainbows and crocks of gold. They show their ignorance of the great collective effort required from all parties, public figures and institutions to win back our economic sovereignty, a battle we are slowly but steadily winning. We accept that it is a slow process. There is no quick fix. There is no magic pen, as Sinn Féin must realise.

Sinn Féin does a huge disservice to socialism and the great socialist leaders and thinkers of Ireland's past with its exercise today. What is Sinn Féin doing in the North? In fairness, it is being responsible and taking tough decisions, as it should. Up there, Sinn Féin is closing small schools and collecting council taxes of the order of £1,000 per annum. It is rationalising hospitals and creating regional health structures and centres of excellence. It is rationalising local government and operating in a system where there is a single water agency and water is seen as a precious resource to be valued and not wasted. It gives a totally different impression in the North than it does down here. I will not get into the argument that this is how politics works for some people, but Sinn Fein's unique position, North and South of the Border, in two separate governmental systems, exposes its cynicism on a huge stage. Despite that large stage and increasing public awareness of its differing positions North and South of the Border, it persists in the act. Sinn Féin persists in the charade of offering false hope to vulnerable people who deserve better than to be played with and used.

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