Sinn Féin has launched its campaign for the local and European elections. The party is running candidates in all local authority areas and each of the three European constituencies.
Sinn Féin is running six candidates for the European elections, two in each of the constituencies, and 335 candidates in the local elections - at least one in every local election area.
Speaking to media before the event at the Helix in DCU, party president Mary Lou McDonald said her party hopes to have representatives on every local authority and to lead on many of them. She said this would help the party to deliver on housing if it gains power at national level.
"The big issue that's at all the doors for us is housing, housing, housing in all its manifestations, overcrowding, maintenance of our local authority houses and flats, the issue of rents. I mean rents are literally crucifying people and the fact that you have a whole generation locked out of any real hope of home ownership," she said.
Addressing the candidates and party members at the event, she told them the elections in June would be the first step in getting the current government out of office.
She added: "After the 2020 General Election I couldn’t walk the length of myself without being told we didn’t run enough candidates." She said that would not be an issue this time as the party is running a record number of candidates.
On the European elections she said Sinn Féin would stand up for Ireland in Europe. "We will back policies from Europe when they are good for Ireland and for the world. We will oppose them when they’re not."
Ms McDonald accused the government and the European Commission of seeking to dismantle Ireland’s military neutrality and independent foreign policy and said her party would defend it.
Deputy McDonald told those at today's launch that there was no limit to what they could achieve over the next six weeks and asked them all to "put their shoulder to the wheel".
Voting in the local and European elections will take place on 7 June.
