In the early hours of Sunday, December 16, 2018, an eviction was carried out near Strokestown in County Roscommon on behalf of the KBC Bank. The eviction of three family members was carried out by a security firm based in Belfast. One of those let the game away when, after he was challenged about evicting fellow Irish people, responded in a strong Belfast accent, “I’m British.”
On 18th December the matter was raised in the Dail chamber by Sinn Fein Spokesperson for Justice, Pearse Doherty TD for Donegal north, He called the eviction of the three people from the only home they had as disgraceful. He referred to those carrying out the eviction as ‘thugs’. Pearse Doherty who has been a TD for about 10 years, is intelligent, articulate, informed and passionate. His comments provoked some snide marks about balaclavas from the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. This was clearly a tactic by the Taoiseach to distract attention form the scandalous behaviour of those who ordered and carried out the eviction. The Taoiseach’s response to the Sinn Fein spokesperson on Justice is typical of those in power in the south who use every opportunity to attack and abuse SF’s elected members. The previous Taoiseach did it. The present leader of FF Micheal Martin does it regularly. It shows how bereft these people are of polices and how out of touch they are with the people on the ground. Of course, they are also afraid of the increasing support for SF. In fact, it could be said that their confidence and supply arrangement is intended to stop Sinn Fein‘s rise to power.
Many journalists and the media especially Independent news media, The Irish Times and RTE are willing to assist these political leaders in their attacks on Sinn Fein. All this distraction means they do not have to deal with the serious issues like homelessness and chronic poverty-and eviction.
The future role of Sinn Fein is critical to the proper working of democracy in Ireland –in both jurisdictions. SF had been playing a decisive role in the northern Assembly until Martin McGuinness the DFM challenged their partners in government, the DUP, about the waste of large sums of money on a Renewable Heating Imitative (RHI). He offered the First Minister, Arlene Foster, an opportunity to stand aside while an Inquiry was held so that there could be accountability. She refused and the institutions collapsed. Sadly, Martin died a short time later. If and when the institutions are restored SF will still have to hold the unionists to account for all their actions in government. That is how democracy works.
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