Political and economic status quo no longer working - Pearse Doherty TD

Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty has said that growing public anger over the cost of living and failing public services shows that the political and economic status quo is no longer working - and that an alternative is urgently needed.

Addressing a Republican commemoration in Belleeks, in Co. Armagh, Teachta Doherty said recent protests, sparked by rising fuel costs, reflected a much deeper crisis.

“Across this island, people are struggling to make ends meet. Families are under pressure, workers are falling behind, and small businesses are being squeezed.

READ NEXT: Ribbon cut to mark the official opening of Drumboe Walkway

“The recent protests were not just about fuel - they were about a system that protects wealth at the top while ordinary people carry the burden. When government acted, it was too little, too late, and left hundreds of thousands behind.”

Doherty was speaking at a 50th anniversary commemoration for IRA Volunteer Peter Cleary who was killed by the SAS in 1976.

He said Sinn Féin is offering a clear alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

“In the South, Sinn Féin is standing with people in their daily struggles and offering a credible alternative - an alternative government that will put working people and families first.”

Doherty also pointed to the challenges facing the North, including chronic underfunding and political obstruction.

“In the North, public services are under severe strain after years of austerity imposed by Westminster. At the same time, progress is being frustrated by those who seek to destabilise the institutions.

“Despite these obstacles, Sinn Féin is working every day to improve people’s lives. But the reality is that partition and British Government policy continue to limit what can be achieved.”

He said this underlined the need for constitutional change.

“The Good Friday Agreement was a peace settlement, but not a final political settlement. Increasingly, people recognise that lasting change requires Irish unity - and that conversation is now firmly in the mainstream.”

Mr Doherty also said Ireland must play a positive role internationally.

“At a time of global instability, Ireland must stand for peace, diplomacy and international law. Nowhere is that more urgent than in Gaza. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

“Sinn Féin is focused on building a new Ireland - united, fair and prosperous - where wealth is shared, public services are strong, and every citizen has a stake in the future of our country.”