The modern Sinn Fein political platform is considerably less revolutionary as the party is a participant in the far more normalized Irish democratic process. In the six counties of Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein claims a majority of the Irish nationalist electorate. Sinn Fein capitalizes on considerably more domestic concerns than in the past as a way to attract a more diverse voting bloc.
One of the major causes undertaken by Sinn Fein is the issue of water rights in modern Ireland. Irish Water, the water utility company established in 2013 by the Water Services Act, is seen by many citizens as exploitation by the government of a service that should be a civil right in the country. Charging for water is considered by many to be a serious abuse of power, and Sinn Fein has vocally made its stance on the issue very apparent: if in power after the next election, the new government’s first move will be to abolish Irish Water and its corresponding water charges.
Sinn Fein also has a notoriously liberal stance on issues of healthcare in Ireland, and proposes adopting a universal healthcare system similar to England’s. Its proposal emphasizes: “A new universal public healthcare system for Ireland that provides care to all free at the point of delivery, on the basis of need alone, and funded from general fair and progressive taxation,” and “Fundamental re-orientation of the health system to adopt a central focus on prevention, health promotion and primary care (including mental health care), and on ultimately eliminating poverty and inequality, which are key underlying social and structural causes of ill-health and premature death.” Such an approach to healthcare is decidedly liberalist and aimed at providing the most good possible for the general public.
In terms of international politics, Sinn Fein has taken a very critical stance on the role and vitality of the European Union (of which Ireland is a member). It has outlined clear goals (similar to the Irish Water crisis) that it will undertake if it obtains a parliamentary majority, the purpose being to pull back from the EU, make the organization more transparent, and attend to the pressing economic and environmental needs of the Irish population that are not appropriately being addressed in the current European Union.
Although the issues undertaken by modern Sinn Fein are undoubtedly diverse, the populist United Ireland theme is plainly applicable to all current political stances vocalized by the party.