https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41483836.html

Sinn Féin leader welcomed former taoiseach's comments calling on all parties to include manifesto pledges on making Irish unification an objective

Mary-Lou McDonald: Leo Varadkar has found his 'inner Shinner'

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has welcomed comments by former taoiseach Leo Varadkar calling on all parties to include manifesto pledges on making Irish unification an objective.

Ms McDonald agreed this was the position every political party should be taking.

"I'm glad now that he has exited the position of taoiseach that he has found his inner Shinner," she quipped.

The former Fine Gael leader said in an interview with the Irish Times that politicians should back the establishment of a New Ireland Forum to plan for a reunified Ireland.

Ms McDonald said comments were all well and good but it needed to be more than rhetoric.

"Soundbites are not enough," she said at the launch of Sinn Féin's alternative budget on Thursday.

There needs to be a citizen's assembly, a structured democratic conversation and a commitment to holding referendums, she said.

"I very much hope that every single political party will make clear cut commitments in this regard. Not just to move from an aspiration to an objective but rather to move from an objective to an active plan of action," Ms McDonald said.

Following the former taoiseach's strong comments on the matter, Ms McDonald put it up to Simon Harris to make "absolutely clear" Fine Gael's position on reunification.

As part of its alternative budget, Sinn Féin proposed the establishment of citizen's assemblies at a cost of €3m and funding for research that contributes toward preparations for Irish unity, which would cost €8m.

Ms McDonald rejected claims the party's budget was a desperate grab for votes in the looming general election in the wake of several poor performances in recent polls.

"The desperation resides with people who cannot get a home, 14,000 people in emergency accommodation, more than 4,000 of those are children. That's pretty desperate," she said.

There is a desperate need for a change of government, Ms McDonald said, before admitting it would be a challenge to convince the people Sinn Féin was the alternative option the party presents itself to be.

With no election date confirmed, the party leader said Sinn Féin was ready to go as soon as the whistle was blown.

Meanwhile, the Social Democrats have claimed that taxing "super wealth" would raise €175m in revenue,

The party wants to introduce a "reasonable" 1% levy on wealth above €2m.

This would exclude family homes and businesses, farm holdings and pension assets.

The party put forward the proposal as part of its alternative budget 2025.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns accused the Government of an emphasis on short-term measures rather than large-scale structural reform for the benefit of the country.

Ms Cairns said: "It's that missed opportunity that has left so many people behind and why so many people feel like the country is not working for them any more – the Social Democrats would take a very different approach."

She added: "One-off measures evaporate really, really fast and we don't want to waste the opportunity that these record surpluses present to the country, to invest in the medium and long term to genuinely transform people's lives."

Elsewhere, the Soc Dems said they would build 10,000 additional affordable homes each year to address the housing crisis.

They also want to extend parent's benefit by four weeks per parent, so there are 12 months of paid leave available for each child.