Sinn Féin’s ruling body will have to call a special conference to determine the party’s position on future referendums in the wake of its support for a Yes-Yes vote in the failed care and family votes earlier this year.
Delegates at the party’s ardfheis in Athlone raised concern over how the party backed the Government in what turned out to be contentious referendums in March that were heavily defeated.
More than 1,000 Sinn Féin members will gather on Saturday to hear party leader Mary Lou McDonald’s keynote address to the last ardfheis in advance of the next general election.
It comes at a time when the party’s support levels have slipped in recent opinion polls.
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The ardfheis opened with a series of motions on the party’s activism and campaigning, with a number of speakers raising Sinn Féin’s backing of the failed referendums.
Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne said: “We got a call on the referendum wrong” and he said the party’s decision to back a Yes-Yes vote was “taken without adequate consultation with the members and members felt that their views weren’t taken on board”.
Dublin West TD Paul Donnelly also spoke in favour of an ardfheis motion calling on the party’s ard comhairle to hold a special delegate conference to determine Sinn Féin’s position on any future constitutional referendums.
He said the party’s “core principle is the voice of the membership” and he argued that “we give that voice back to the membership.”
The motion was passed by delegates.
The party’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, delivered her first ardfheis speech as First Minister on Friday evening.
She referenced the election of the Labour government in London and said it “offers an opportunity in Irish-British relations”.
However, she added: “The jury is out on how this new British government will live up to commitments set out in the Good Friday Agreement.”
She said: “Their initial actions demonstrate more of the same, failed austerity and broken promises.” She added: “This is simply not good enough.”
Ms O’Neill said: “Cutting winter fuel payments for older people is wrong and the Executive is united against it.
“We will continue fighting for investment in public services decimated by 14 years of British austerity.”
She also said: “The repeal of the Legacy Act must be delivered in full” – a reference to the controversial legislation relating to the Troubles which was brought in by the former Conservative government.
On the looming election in the Republic, Ms O’Neill said her party was “ready to fight the general election when it’s called”.
She said it had a plan to make housing more affordable, transform health, deliver affordable childcare, tackle the cost of living and advance Irish unity.
In his address Sinn Féin’s deputy leader in the Dáil Pearse Doherty said: “This is a great country but something has gone terribly wrong when we have a Government that is awash with surpluses in the billions but completely fails to deliver on the basic needs and services of a nation.”
He listed these needs as affordable homes, accident and emergency departments “where you are seen and safe”, and assessment of needs and therapies for children with additional needs.
Mr Doherty argued: “Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are incapable of delivering these basic things even when they have the resources.
“And that’s the choice that people will face in the next election: Sinn Féin or Fine Gael.
“It is your choice. Who do you want to lead the next government? Do you want change or do you want more of the same?”
As she arrived at the ardfheis Ms McDonald was asked if there would be women leading governments on both sides of the Border this time next year.
She replied: “You never know. Put out the Child of Prague.”
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