Varadkar seeks popularity and is indifferent to unionism, says Fianna Fail chief

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has allowed UK-Irish relations to deteriorate to the worst they’ve been since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the leader of Fianna Fail has said.

Micheal Martin accused the Taoiseach of preferring “megaphone diplomacy” over actual engagement.

Mr Martin (below) said Mr Varadkar was indifferent to unionism.

He said: “One of the greatest tragedies of all this is the constitutional status of Northern Ireland got intertwined with the economic issues.

“The Taoiseach is into megaphone diplomacy and also shortterm popularity. He seems less committed to the Good Friday Agreement and oblivious to the sets of relationships that underpin the Agreement — the British-Irish relationship, the NorthSouth relationship and then the relations between the two communities in the North.

“The whole impetus that led to the Agreement was to nurture, underpin and work on those relationships.

“I think the approach with the backstop last December and the language around that damaged the government’s relationship with unionism and he seemed indifferent towards that.”

Mr Martin was quizzed about his party’s proposal that Northern Ireland was made a special economic zone with access to both the UK and EU markets following Brexit — which was criticised by the Irish Government for a lack of detail.

He said this idea would

have given Northern Ireland “the best of both worlds”, but refused to be drawn on details of the proposal.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Sunday Independent, Mr Varadkar said that when it came to Brexit, it was in the interest of the Britain, Ireland and Europe to have the institutions in Northern Ireland functioning again.

He said: “When other heads of state ask me about Brexit and the situation in Northern Ireland, I point out two things.

“Firstly, that there has been no power-sharing government in Northern Ireland for over a year and that dissident elements are

❝ The Taoiseach is into megaphone diplomacy... he seems less committed to Good Friday Agreement