Tánaiste Michael Martin accused Sinn Féin of “infecting a new generation of young people”, reports Breaking News.
Speaking to reporters in Co Tipperary, where Fianna Fáil holds its annual reflection, Martin said there was a “huge incompatibility” between his party and Sinn Féin.
He said Sinn Féin was “very slow to bring closure to many victims of Provisional IRA violence”, reports Breaking News.
The Fianna Fáil leader says the latest documentary on the killing of Thomas Niedermayer by a republican paramilitary group is “sobering”.
He added: “It reminds us of the need for Sinn Féin not to triumphalise the horrible deeds they did. They still try to triumphalise it, they still try to justify it. The problem with that is that you’re infecting a new generation of young people,” reports Breaking News.
“We need to take all of that out of our politics and move on. And if we expect others to do it, then I think Sinn Féin have an obligation to do that, and they’re showing no evidence – in fact they’re doubling down, and that’s a view I have,” he added, reports Breaking News.
Asked about the comments, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters in Belfast that he agreed with the Tánaiste.
“I think we need, as a country, to have an honest appraisal about what happened in the past. I don’t think it is ever right for people to whitewash history or to glorify things that happened in the past that hurt a lot of people, and that doesn’t just apply to Sinn Féin,” he said, reports Breaking News.
Furthermore, Mr Martin accused Sinn Féin of being “anti-enterprise” and “anti-European”.
“Also, in terms of the climate agenda, I think they’ve been particularly two-faced on that and lacking any genuine commitment and they’ve sought to play politics with it,” reports Breaking News.
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