Sinn Féin Launch Seanad Campaign

Sinn Féin have launched a campaign calling for the abolition of the Seanad at an event in Dublin this morning.

The party say the the current Seanad should be broken up in the interest in fairness, democracy and equality of citizenship.

Pearse Doherty, TD, said: "The cronyism and the elitism that are synonymous with the Seanad has fostered the type of politics that has brought this state to its knees.

"In the last two-and-a-half years, the Seanad has supported the government on every single occasion, including the introduction of the property tax, cuts to disability payments and the promissory note deal which is costing the tax payer €30 billion.

"The Seanad has promoted political cronies and allies rather than ideas or visions. And Fianna Fáil, who now seek to preserve the Seanad, is the party which has done the most to reinforce the perception of the Seanad as a hot house of cronyism."

"Sinn Féin seeks to build a New Republic on this island based on equality for all citizens. We want to see an end to privilege and elitism, and to the cronyism and influence of vested interests that have so damaged politics in this country.

At the launch event the party called on voters to get out to the polls at the upcoming referendum on October 04.

(MH/CD)