The Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, has claimed that Sinn Féin is panicking and closely monitoring the polls. After the previous Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s resignation, Sinn Féin has been pushing for a general election. A majority of the public supported this call in a recent Newstalk-commissioned opinion poll.
However, Donnelly argued on Thursday that Sinn Féin was only eager for an election now because the government was making gains in significant sectors like health and housing. He suggested that Sinn Féin might be worried about possible declination in the party’s opinion polls.
Parliamentary terms of five years are clearly defined in our legislation, Donnelly pointed out. He said that the government was dedicated to fulfilling its five-year plan and that a lot of progress was being made. Healthcare improvements were highlighted, with falling waiting lists, declining numbers of patients waiting on trollies, and the introduction of new services. There’s nearly a year until the anticipated general election, he noted.
The focus of the coalition government remains on realising the agreed government programme implementation, the Minister stated. He also plans to continue working with the nationwide healthcare workforce to reduce waiting lists and patient trolley numbers further, while also adding more beds and hiring new staff.
Donnelly referenced Sinn Féin’s response to the Newstalk poll, claiming that it showed the public’s desire for an early election. Responding to this, Donnelly criticised Sinn Féin’s actions in Westminister and Stormont, suggesting they don’t respect the Republic’s five-year parliamentary term.
Sinn Féin’s call for an early election is due to their fear of the government’s progress in constructing more houses and hospitals, adding more beds and reducing waiting lists and trolley numbers, Donnelly added.
According to a poll conducted by Amárach Research released earlier this week after Taoiseach Simon Harris’s appointment, younger people are more interested in an early election.
The survey revealed that a substantial 73% of respondents below the age of 35 expressed a desire for an immediate general election, a stark contrast to the 40% of participants aged 55 and above who shared this sentiment.