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Sinn F\u00e9in is on course to make Ireland a country of three big parties, marking a dramatic change in the state\u2019s political landscape.<\/p>\nSinn F\u00e9in is on course to make Ireland a country of three big parties, marking a dramatic change in the state\u2019s political landscape.<\/p>\n
Despite an exit poll suggesting almost a quarter of voters backed Sinn F\u00e9in in the General Election, both Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael have consistently ruled out going into coalition with their rivals.<\/p>\n
As the opinion polls signaled a strong surge in support for Mary Lou McDonald\u2019s party, the dialogue around which parties could lead the next government quickly changed.<\/p>\n
Miche\u00e1l Martin and Leo Varadkar faced down questions about whether they would be open to working with Sinn F\u00e9in, with both leaders ruling out doing a deal with Ms McDonald.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said his party\u2019s long-held differences with Sinn F\u00e9in prevents it from relying on their support in any coalition government.<\/p>\n
During the election campaign, Mr Varadkar was challenged on his position on Sinn F\u00e9in, as he had long criticized the party for not restoring power-sharing in Stormont sooner, and urged them back into government repeatedly in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar however said that \u201cthe north is different\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthern Ireland is a devolved government, it\u2019s not a sovereign state, and in Northern Ireland the Good Friday Agreement provided for what is effectively an all-party coalition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think people comparing Stormont with a sovereign parliament like the D\u00e1il is an accurate comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the reason Fine Gael have ruled out working with Sinn F\u00e9in is a \u201cpoint of principle\u201d.<\/p>\n
He raised concerns about Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s key policy decisions not being made by elected representatives but by their Ard Comhairle.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin also say they have a major problem with Sinn Fein\u2019s stance on the Special Criminal Court which Sinn F\u00e9in has previously opposed but now say needs to be reformed.<\/p>\n
Faced with the Sinn F\u00e9in surge, Fine Gael and Fianna F\u00e1il have continued to raise the party\u2019s historic IRA links and, as the campaign entered its latter stages, the past crimes of the provisional movement.<\/p>\n
But the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael leaders could face pressure to form a coalition government that involves Sinn F\u00e9in given the predicted close election result.<\/p>\n
During the last week of the election campaign, a Sinn F\u00e9in minister in the Northern Ireland Executive was forced to apologize and withdraw claims he made about an IRA murder victim.<\/p>\n
Paul Quinn\u2019s mother Breege called on Ms McDonald to sack Conor Murphy as Stormont Finance Minister after the republican leader admitted Mr Murphy had been wrong to brand Mrs Quinn\u2019s son a smuggler and criminal.<\/p>\n
The murder of Mr Quinn 13 years ago, and Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s response to it, became a major issue in the election campaign, with Fine Gael and Fianna F\u00e1il highlighting the party\u2019s IRA links and accusing it of being soft on crime.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin said \u201can omerta\u201d surrounded Mr Quinn\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n
He also described Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s policies on tax and housing as \u201cvery negative\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking during the election campaign, Mr Varadkar said: \u201cOne thing that won\u2019t happen, you won\u2019t see a coalition involving my party and Sinn F\u00e9in. That\u2019s just not going to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cSinn F\u00e9in, in our view, is soft on crime and also high on tax \u2013 proposals to tax business, pensions, incomes, wealth, property, you name it, to the tune of four billion euros, and that would be enormously damaging for the Irish economy, for people\u2019s jobs and incomes and livelihoods and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar also posted a video on Twitter saying he asked his Fine Gael team if they would go into government with Ms McDonald\u2019s party.<\/p>\n
The 25-second clip shows various ministers ruling out the idea of going into coalition with the party, with each candidate shouting \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n