SINN FEIN tonight accused Labour and Fine Gael of a stomach-turning power grab – helping Fianna Fail to pass the widespread cuts they had opposed in the Finance Bill in order to get into power as quickly as possible.
Speaking after attending the meeting of Finance Spokespeople in the Department of Finance today Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty accused both Fine Gael and Labour of engaging in political fraud after they agreed to facilitate the passage of the Finance Bill through the Dáil this week despite claiming to be opposed to the Bill.
Deputy Doherty said: “I went into today’s meeting with the sole purpose of telling the other parties that Sinn Féin will not be a party to the grubby little deal to pass the Finance Bill in the dying days of this Dáil.
“There was an opportunity today for the opposition parties to bring down this Government once and for all and to bring about the general election that the people are crying out for.
“Unfortunately, however, in what I can only describe as an act of political fraud, both Fine Gael and the Labour Party buckled and agreed to extend the life of the Government for one more week to pass a Finance Bill which they both claim to oppose.”
Sinn Fein claimed Brian Lenihan had asked them to leave the meeting – but they stood their ground, only leaving during a break in the discussions.
Mr Doherty said it was a ‘shameful’ attempt to grab power, implementing the widespread cuts in the Finance Bill.
