Mary Lou McDonald has said Sinn Féin now understands people’s concerns about migration and has “heard that message” from the electorate. 

Today, the main opposition party is gathering for its annual think in to discuss its priorities and strategies for the new Dáil term. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Party President Mary Lou McDonald said TDs and Senators recognise that voters want to hear more from them about the issue of immigration. 

“There was a point in time where our communities told us very clearly that they weren't hearing enough from us on specific issues - migration and the mismanagement of it by Government in particular,” she said. 

“If you recall, I heard that message, we heard that message, we put our hands up to that.” 

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald. Picture by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie.

The Dublin Central TD insisted the party is now “very clear” in its position and vowed that any conversation on the topic would be both ‘respectful and honest’. 

“We have to present communities and our society with a plan and with an approach that is responsible and reasonable,” she said. 

“We need a system that is efficient, that is properly resourced, that is enforced, and that we have to have an approach that listens very carefully to communities.

“Of course, we have to an approach that is absolutely, avowedly and unmistakably anti-racist.”

Irish citizenship

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan will soon announce a number of changes to the rules governing citizenship. 

Among the expected changes, migrants are likely to be asked to demonstrate an ability to speak one of Ireland’s national languages. 

It has also been suggested that people receiving certain social welfare benefits would be precluded from applying. 

While Deputy McDonald stressed that no one has seen the details of the proposed legislation, she described the Minister for Justice as “finally coming somewhere towards at least some of the initiatives that we insisted needed to happen”. 

The Sinn Féin President said that becoming an Irish citizen is a “very big step” that is “both an honour and a responsibility”. 

“Things like language ability, as Gaeilge, nó Béarla, nó Irish Sign Language - let's see what that looks like,” she said. 

“The issue of social welfare and income levels; I would not like to see a system that would discriminate against workers, hard working, integrated, decent people who are working in lower paid employment, very necessary sectors that keep the Irish economy ticking over and keep the lights on.”

Main image: Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald. Picture by: Alamy.com.