Opinion

Deaglán de Bréadún: Wooing Sinn Féin may be key to power in next Dáil

Mary Lou McDonald has had a good start as Sinn Féin president - and could be a more acceptable partner in government for Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil than her predecessor. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire
Mary Lou McDonald has had a good start as Sinn Féin president - and could be a more acceptable partner in government for Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil than her predecessor. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire Mary Lou McDonald has had a good start as Sinn Féin president - and could be a more acceptable partner in government for Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil than her predecessor. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire

FRESH thinking on the north is not a common feature of politics in the south. In that context, Micheál Martin came up with an interesting proposal in the Dáil last week.

In a debate entitled 'Statements on Northern Ireland', the Fianna Fáil leader suggested that the lack of a working Assembly and Executive rendered both parts of this island more vulnerable to the negative consequences of Brexit.

He continued: "A unilateral decision by Sinn Féin to return to the Assembly and the Executive, even for a limited period, could dramatically change the dynamic of Brexit discussions."

When I put this suggestion to a senior backroom person in Sinn Féin, the response was scornfully dismissive.

In withering terms, he declared that the functioning devolved institutions in Scotland and Wales have no influence over Brexit and a restored Stormont would be in the same position.

In the second place, he saw it as just another example of the Fianna Fáil leader's anti-Sinn Féin sniping, which has become a virtual crusade in the last several years.

But even some of us who are long-time devotees of the Irish language would find it hard to quibble with Martin's contention that the cause of the current logjam is "dramatically smaller" than issues that have been overcome in the past such as decommissioning of paramilitary arms, establishing a police service with cross-community backing, etc.

When evaluating a proposed course of action, the fact that the proposer annoys the hell out of you shouldn't affect your consideration of its merits.

Sinn Féin has backed off its demand that Arlene Foster step down because of the Renewable Heating Incentive controversy and the recently-leaked draft document from the talks showed the party was prepared to make further concessions.

More important even than trying to mitigate the effects of Brexit, restoration of the Assembly and Executive would help preserve the Good Friday Agreement, which has been coming under attack from some hard-line Brexiteers.

In his Dáil speech, Martin also expressed the hope that, in her new role as party leader, Mary Lou McDonald would not continue the approach of her predecessor by challenging the motivation of people who raised questions about Sinn Féin's conduct and behaviour.

As it happened, the Sinn Féin viewpoint in the debate was, in the absence of their leader, put forward jointly by Pearse Doherty and David Cullinane, TDs for Donegal and Waterford respectively.

Doherty accused the Fianna Fáil leader of scoring "cheap political points" at the expense of Sinn Féin and Cullinane described Martin as "the most cynical and divisive leader of Fianna Fáil in the history of his party when it comes to the north". So no rapprochement there, it seems.

My Sinn Féin source referred me to a column by the previous Sinn Féin leader, published a few days beforehand on the Léargas blog, where Gerry Adams wrote that Martin's "sole focus" since Fianna Fáil got turfed out of office in the 2011 general election has been to get back into power and that he sees Sinn Féin as an obstacle in his path.

Adams goes on to recite Martin's political sins of commission and omission, with the intriguing observation that, "One of the great ironies of this period is that Fine Gael has a sounder position on the North than Fianna Fáil. True it is all words but I'm sure it drives some sound Fianna Fáil folk mad."

Political speeches are like the roaring of the crowd at a football match, but what really matters is the numbers on the scoreboard.

The next election in the south, which the latest speculation suggests will be late this year or early in 2019, seems very unlikely to give any party an overall majority in the Dáil.

Either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil - perhaps both of them - could find themselves in a situation where coalition with Sinn Féin is the only sure path to power.

In that context, if Fine Gael is regarded be Sinn Féin as being 'greener' than Fiannna Fáil, then we might have what some of its opponents would describe as a 'Blueshirt-Provo partnership'.

However, Micheál Martin clearly indicates in his Dáil speech that he wishes for a better political rapport with Mary Lou McDonald than he had with Gerry Adams.

That's one to watch, bearing in mind that McDonald started out in politics as a member of Fianna Fáil. Even neutral observers would accept that she has had a reasonably good start as party leader.

Meanwhile Adams is still a member of Dail Éireann but has been keeping a fairly low profile. And when a group portrait of women TDs and Senators was unveiled at Leinster House on International Women's Day last Thursday who had the central position in the picture? Mary Lou of course. Napoleon always said he preferred lucky generals.

Ddebre1@aol.com