{"id":24641,"date":"2022-01-02T07:24:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-02T12:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24641"},"modified":"2022-01-02T09:27:46","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T14:27:46","slug":"taoiseach-accuses-sinn-fein-of-being-in-destructive-opposition-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24641","title":{"rendered":"Taoiseach Accuses Sinn F\u00e9in Of Being In ‘Destructive Opposition Mode’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Miche\u00e1l Martin said he found it extraordinary that the republican party had been \u2018silent\u2019 on the Russian build-up of troops on the Ukrainian border (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Taoiseach has said he would not rule out working with any party after the next election but accused Sinn F\u00e9in of being in \u201cdestructive opposition mode\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fianna F\u00e1il leader Miche\u00e1l Martin also said he found it extraordinary that the republican party had been \u201cabsolutely silent\u201d on the Russian build-up of troops on the Ukrainian border, accusing it of being \u201canti-European Union\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A number of opinion polls have seen Sinn F\u00e9in open up a clear lead as the most popular party in Ireland under leader Mary Lou McDonald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about whether he would be open to working with Sinn F\u00e9in after the next election, Mr Martin said: \u201cWe will contest the election in our own right as a political party with our own policies and ideas and after that general election, we will consider, first of all, where we are in terms of our own seats and numbers of seats, and where others are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy sense of Sinn F\u00e9in at the moment is that it\u2019s in a very destructive, resolute opposition mode, opposing everything that moves literally, politically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe level and range of what they\u2019re promising is in the billions at this stage, and doesn\u2019t, frankly, add up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of their policies don\u2019t add up, their housing policies don\u2019t add up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taoiseach continued: \u201cThe other aspect of it that worries me a bit is their international, European policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think at heart, they\u2019re still an anti-European Union party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was struck in the D\u00e1il in the debate leading into the European Council, for example, they were absolutely silent on the massive Russian military build-up on the Ukraine (border).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found that extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve noticed this for the last number of years, Sinn F\u00e9in will never criticize Russia, always remain silent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin predicted that the next Government in Ireland would not be easy to form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cThere needs to be far greater focus on the actual substance of policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, we managed to get agreement with the Greens and Fine Gael around fairly weighty topics, one being the climate change one, which has been a significant feature of Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m simply putting to you is that the next government won\u2019t be that easy to form, because it will have to be formed around policies and substance and issues and ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll rule nobody out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was simply pointing out that there are very substantive policy issues that go to the heart of what this country is about, and has been about for 50 years, and when I listen to Mary Lou (McDonald) she damns the last 50 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo I believe that they would fatally undermine, with their current policies, the enterprise base of this in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

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