Adams standing in Louth will provide a new dimension to all-Ireland project - Kelly

North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA and Executive Minister Gerry Kelly said Gerry Adams decision to give up his West Belfast seat to stand in Louth will provide a “new dimension to our all Ireland project”.
Gerry Kelly said the decision proves that Sinn Féin is an all-Ireland party and can gain support throughout the island.

“Gerry Adams is Sinn Féin's party President North, South East and West of Ireland and once again has demonstrated that by example,” he said.
“On a personal and emotional level this is a hugely significant development for Gerry and his family and the West Belfast community. However, politically this is a natural extension of our party leader’s work across Ireland.”

At a meeting in West Belfast earlier this week, former hungerstriker Pat Sheehan was chosen as Gerry’s successor as MLA.
“The republican project remains on track in West Belfast with the selection of Pat Sheehan who is replacing Gerry in the Assembly,” said Kelly.
“Pat is a more than capable activist with a long track record of work on republican projects both at home and abroad.

“Being a former hunger striker myself, I know that Pat's history on the 1981 hunger strike will resonate with the core Sinn Féin support, but it will be his present and future work that will earn Pat the loyalty of the West Belfast community.”

“This is a time of economic crisis and the Sinn Féin vision of the way forward is different to any other political party across the island,” he said,
“We have been proved 100 per cent right on the economy whilst the so-called economic and political experts that caused this crisis branded us economic illiterates.

“But sadly it's the ordinary people that are being forced to foot the bill for their corruption, incompetence and reckless greed. Whilst Gerry Adams standing in Louth will provide a new dimension to our all-Ireland project, it's our political vision and our work on the ground on a daily basis that will prove decisive.

“We remain the only 32-county party with a strategy for delivering national sovereignty and personal sacrifice isn't anything new to republican activists like Gerry Adams.”