Pearse Doherty: Sinn Féin must 'build bridges of trust' after election 'shaking'

With national trends disappointing for Sinn Féin, Donegal TD Pearse Doherty was pleased to see the party retain its ten Donegal County Council seats.

Deputy Doherty says that Sinn Féin must stir up an immediate 'response' and listen to the message they received on the doorsteps during the local elections campaign.

Nationally, Sinn Féin's vote share is down and only modest seat gains have been made, rather than the major inroads targeted.

The weekend's election results have heightened talk of an early General Election – but Deputy Doherty insists that his party will hit back after getting what he called a 'shaking'.

“Without a doubt, it has been disappointing,” he told Donegal Live at the Glenties electoral area count.

“We didn't achieve the targets and the hopes that we had in this election. Donegal is one of a number of good areas.

“We did make dozens of gains and our vote has gone up, but we wanted to do better. Every election is different and every election listens to what the people want.

“They have decided to vote independent and they have given us a big shaking in this election. It is up to us to respond now. A lot of people still are not happy with this government and want change.

“We know that Sinn Fein has to build bridges of trust again with that section of the electorate and try to win them over for the general election.

“Everyone in the political field has been banking on an October or November election anyway, but that is at the discretion of Simon Harris. We just need to be ready when it happens.

“It will be a short window and there is a lot of work for us to do. There is a big opportunity for us.

“That responsibility lies on our shoulders to listen and respond and convince more and more people that we can deliver real change.

“There was a message sent to us here. We heard messages on doorsteps. We have had conversations and people were very clear.

“It's up to us to sit down, to respond and to tell them very clearly: We heard you. We are going to regroup and dust ourselves down. People expect us to lead that change but we have to earn that trust back.”

Sitting Sinn Féin Donegal County Councillors Liam Doherty and Marie Therese Gallagher decided not to seek re-election this term.

Brian Carr was elected to the Glenties area seat he was co-opted onto following Gallagher's abdication 10 weeks ago.

Doherty's seat in the Lifford-Stranorlar area was retained by young newcomer Dakota Nic Mheanman, who edged veteran Councillor Gerry Crawford for the last seat there.

Deputy Doherty said: “We had some great young candidates in this election and some of them were very late into the race, but they have done really, really well.

“Dakota has politics running through her veins and she knows the issues in her area. She will be a voice for a younger generation, but she will be a voice for young and old.”

The 100% Redress party have shaken things up considerably with the election of four councillors – Ali Farren, Joy Beard, Tomas Sean Devine and Denis McGee – and Doherty says this represented a loud message to the government.

He said: “The government are failing thousands of families here and it isn't a problem contained to the east of the county and Inishowen.

“Even those who aren't affected, we are all Donegal people and we have huge pain and sympathy for those affected. They are brothers, sisters, friends neighbours. I am not surprised, with the number of homes affected, that they have a strong representation going to Donegal County Council.

“We see ourselves as a 100% redress party too. We have campaigned for that and, while it is important to have those voices, the reality is that the Council can't deliver 100% redress; it will be a government.”