THE FINE GAEL AND LABOUR government has been accused of ignoring the needs of the west of Ireland and of treating the people who live there like second-class citizens.

The comments came from Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty as he launched the party's 'A New Deal for the West' policy document at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin on Monday.

The Donegal TD said his party's plan would make the west a sustainable place to live and work, particularly for young people – as well as providing significant investment in transport infrastructure and a new enterprise spatial strategy. The retention of services such as schools, post offices and local doctors would also be key.

The party plans to introduce a Rural Equality Bill to ensure all legislation is “rural-proofed” to avoid discrimination in rural areas as well as a new enterprise spatial strategy to orientate infrastructural development in a balanced manner.

The party also proposes an e-commerce strategy for the West to maximise online sales and provide supports to companies which want to trade online.

Sinn Féin says it wants provide financial stimulus to micro-enterprises and ensure all Irish householders and businesses have access to 100MB broadband.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Sinn Féin's candidate in Galway West, noted that all those launching the document were either forced to emigrate from the West to find work or were born abroad to parents who had been forced to leave.

He said Sinn Féin wants to support island communities and make living on Ireland's islands a viable option for people and that in Government a Junior Minister with specific responsibility for island communities would be appointed.

Councillor Rose Conway-Walsh, Sinn Féin's general election candidate for Mayo, said small businesses need to stop being penalised :

“How can a small, locally owned coffee shop compete with a huge multi-national chain that is paying almost no corporation tax at all? We want fairness in taxation but also we want to see rates based on profitability.”

Sligo–Leitrim Sinn Féin candidate Chris MacManus was critical of Taoiseach Enda Kenny, saying that despite being from Mayo he has continued Fianna Fáil's policy of neglecting the west of Ireland.

Other proposals by the party include a pilot scheme for rural resettlement to encourage and support emigrant families who want to return to the West with a €5,000 relocation package, rebalancing of the domestic fish quota, investment in developing the transport network

The party also plans and end to upward-only rents, something the Labour Party had promised before the last General Election. Quizzed as to how he proposed to do this when former Justice Minister Alan Shatter said it couldn't be done, Pearse Doherty said:

“Alan Shatter said a lot of other things which have been proven to be incorrect. There is legal opinion to say upward only rent reviews can be abolished. That can be challenged in the courts if the political will is there. We don't have to rely on the Attorney General's advice which has been proven wrong in the past – indeed the Attorney General thought it was wrong for the people of my constituency to vote to replace Pat Gallagher when he was elected as an MEP, I challenged that in court and won," he said.

Summing up, he said:

"Sinn Féin are prepared to do what is necessary to save our towns and villages, the rural heart of Ireland."