Archbishop calls on politicians to stop ‘bickering’ for greater good
THE leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has called on Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to set aside their “bickering” and concentrate on the “urgent” needs of the country.
At a Mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Huntstown, Dublin 15, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin appealed to political leaders to “resolve their differences” and put the challenges of homelessness, healthcare and education first.
“Splintering and bickering damage not just politics, but damage the services people need,” he said.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Dr Martin said: “The needs of people are great and we have to address those – they are the first things we should be looking at.”
Of the current political standoff between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over the motion of no confidence in Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, he said what was needed was “a sense of purpose and people coming together” to “get things done, not just protesting and complaining”.
“The Government has got its problems and where you have got splintering you lose effectiveness, you lose the ability to do the important things,” he said as he also referred to the difficulties the country faces in relation to its place in the world.
If an election is called, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will travel to Brussels in December for a crucial EU summit on Brexit as a caretaker leader, which could weaken his negotiating position.
That summit may determine the fate of the Irish Border post-Brexit. Yesterday, Archbishop Martin – in a reference to the political problems in Germany and London – told the Irish Independent if political parties, not just in Ireland but all over Europe, begin to drift then that can be very damaging.
Addressing the congregation in West Dublin, Dr Martin also criticised corruption and violence.
The Archbishop criticised the existence of “great and demonstrative wealth” alongside the many who have difficulties in making ends meet.