Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty TD said today that the government’s campaign on the Seanad referendum “was a sorry excuse for a campaign”.
Mr Doherty was his party’s strongest advocate for a Yes vote in the referendum, with reports that other senior members of the party wanted a No vote.
Sinn Fein has attempted to play down reports of a split.
The Donegal TD was today saving his ire for the Government.
“Sinn Féin ran a good campaign and canvassed door-to-door around the state, leafleted and put up posters. In some places, we were the only ones out campaigning for a YES vote,” he insisted.
“The government, on the other hand, ran a sorry excuse for a campaign, with its leader refusing to even debate the issues on television.
“One thing was agreed, by everyone involved in this campaign, however: the Seanad, as it now stands, is not acceptable. It is elected by a tiny percentage of the people and is undemocratic.
“The referendum result does not mean that the people want to keep the Seanad as it now exists. The turnout, however, should be a cause for concern to all political leaders.
“The need for political reform goes further than the Seanad. There is a need for a root and branch reform of the Dáil and local democracy too.”
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