Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said her party is being blamed for “Government failures” in dealing with immigration issues.
Ms McDonald said there has been a “noisy minority” on social media and elsewhere who have targeted her party for “political reasons”.
The Dublin Central TD also defended her party over declining poll numbers in recent months.
Days away from the local and European elections, a poll at the weekend found that Sinn Féin’s support has plummeted in a seven point drop to 22 per cent.
According to the Sunday Independent/Ireland Think opinion poll, this is a 15 point drop in support for the party since October last year.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne show, Ms McDonald said there is a “sense of impatience” among the public.
“The impatience that I’m describing to you, unfortunately, I think led for some people to almost a sense of weariness,” she added.
“Interestingly, out on the election campaign, and talking to people about the local elections, and the European elections, people understand that these elections aren’t going to change the government.
“But for the first time again, after four years of what have been for so many families and communities four tough years, people again have the chance to come out and to make their make and to vote for change.
“There’s a lot of noise in the political atmosphere. But when you actually take the noise away, and when you boil things right down again, fundamentally the choice that exists for people is quite simple.
“Either Sinn Fein get our chance to be in government to deliver a change, and we have to perform in that, or you’re looking at five more years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, and I have to tell you, that prospect is one that fills people with dread.”
The party has faced criticism from its voters, with some accusing Sinn Fein of being “traitors” or “sell-outs” when the issue of immigration arises.
“I think that, unfortunately because of the housing crisis, because people are really under pressure, because government has abjectly failed to have a plan in respect of dealing with immigration. The sight of people sleeping in tents on Mount Street and along the Grand Canal, of course that alarms and disgusts people,” Ms McDonald added.
“It’s not acceptable on any level.
“Government have failed, but there has been an element on social media and elsewhere who have chosen for political reasons to direct that at us.
“That is a noisy minority. Most people expect from us and deserve reassurance on the issues of migration.
“We need a system where the rules are enforced, decisions are made efficiently and everybody is treated with the level of fairness. Clearly that hasn’t happened. That’s on the government, not on us.”
She also said gardaí carrying out spot checks near the border area has been in place along with the Common Travel Area.
Garda checkpoints have been set up to detect people entering the State illegally from Northern Ireland, with gardai boarding buses and trans to carry out identification checks.
“The Common Travel Area has always required cooperation between the PSNI and the gardai and that will continue. That’s exactly as it should be,” the Sinn Fein leader added.
“The gardaí and the PSNI do spot checks on buses and that’s always been the case. No, I don’t have an issue with that.
“Our issue has always been and would be any suggestion of remilitarisation of that border.”
