Fine Gael could never go into Government with Sinn Féin because of the party’s ‘sickening’ support for the actions of the IRA during the Troubles, the Tánaiste has told Pat Kenny.
Leo Varadkar said Sinn Féin is an “obstacle to Irish unity” and called on the party to apologise for the “killing of children and civilians” throughout the Troubles.
He also accused the party of being Euro-sceptic, climate change-sceptic and opposed to private homeownership.
He made the comments during a wide-ranging interview in which he also said he expects NPHET to recommend further COVID restrictions later this week.
Asked for his view on former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams’ recent ‘Tiocfaidh ar lá la la la la’ comedy sketch, he said: “Gerry Adams apologising about a video that went viral is not the apology I would like to hear from Sinn Féin.”
“The apology I would like to hear is them accepting is that the killing of children and civilians by the IRA in our lifetime was wrong,” he said.
“That is the apology we need to hear. Even (former separatist group) ETA have done that in the Basque country – we have yet to hear that from any Sinn Féin representative.
“Not only will they not say that was wrong; not only will they not apologise for the killing of children and civilians throughout the troubles, they still celebrate those who committed those crimes.
“That sickens me quite frankly and that is why we can never form a Government with them.”
United Ireland
Minister Varadkar said he is committed to a United Ireland but only one that is achieved through consent.
“That requires persuading people,” he said.
“It requires making changes to how we do things in this country and it requires accepting something that I think Sinn Féin will struggle to accept – it requires accepting that there will always be one million people on this island who are British.
“We need to accept their identity and respect their identity. There is no pathway to a United Ireland until there is a willingness to do that.
“Sinn Féin people inherently don’t accept that. They still celebrate the murder of British people for being British and I think that is just wrong and they are an obstacle to Irish unity.”
Consent
He noted that broadcaster Patrick Kielty recently gave a speech in which he asked whether people were, “willing to stop singing rebel songs about a United Ireland in order perhaps to secure one”.
“That is the fundamental question Sinn Féin answers wrong in my view.,” he said.
COVID
In the two-part interview, Minister Varadkar said NPHET was likely to recommend new COVID restrictions aimed at decreasing the amount of social mixing.
He said the current international travel restrictions would likely be relaxed and new measures on close contacts could be introduced.
While the most recent batch of restrictions - announced less than two weeks ago - cover the Christmas period and early January, Mr Varadkar stressed the situation is changing rapidly due to Omicron.
The Tánaiste said it's now expected that new strain, which officials yesterday suggested is now responsible for 14% of new cases, could become dominant in Ireland by next week.
You can listen back to the full interview here:
