Southern parties have an ‘electoral fear’ of SF: Adams
GERRY Adams has continued his war of words with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, accusing him of making “irresponsible party political attacks” on Sinn Fein.
Mr Adams warned that criticism from “establishment” parties in Dublin was making it difficult to implement change in Northern Ireland.
The Sinn Fein president said: “One of the great difficulties in the process of change in the North, and as we seek to achieve the implementation of outstanding elements of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements, is
the manner in which establishment parties in the Dail cynically use the situation here to attack Sinn Fein. While all parties have the right to criticise other parties
it is obvious that the only motivation for the attacks on Sinn Fein by the southern establishment parties is their electoral fear of the growth of Sinn Fein.
“A mature and leaderly Taoiseach would make the process of change and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement a bipartisan one. In this way maximum political focus could be exerted on the British government and those opposed to change.
“Instead the party political attacks on Sinn Fein only serve to give succour to the opponents of change.
“Sinn Fein has continued to engage intensely with the DUP and while our will and intent is to see the political institutions restored, the responsibility of the Irish government, like that of Sinn Fein, has to be to ensure that it happens on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement.”
Mr Adams was speaking in Omagh last night at a celebration event for Pat Doherty, the former vice president of Sinn Fein and West Tyrone MP.
The Taoiseach has been involved in a series of arguments with Sinn Fein members in recent weeks, including with Mary Lou McDonald earlier this week who stormed out of the Dail after the Taoiseach accused her party of “shouting down” those who don’t share their views. He also accused Sinn Fein of a “lack of respect” and making “smart alec remarks” inside Leinster House.
He told Ms McDonald she was being “cranky” and said the “only time you’re not scripted is when you’re interrupting.”
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin also criticised Sinn Fein’s controversial stance on the murder of Louth farmer Tom Oliver, who was killed by the IRA in 1991. Mr Adams said in a recent radio interview that the killers responsible for Mr Oliver’s murder should not be punished.