FINE GAEL yesterday distanced itself from comments made by its national director of elections that the party would work with Sinn Féin in the future.
Party leader Enda Kenny said that Frank Flannery had expressed a personal opinion when saying that Fine Gael’s doctrinaire opposition to Sinn Féin in the past could no longer be considered its position.
Speaking on RTÉs This Week, Mr Kenny said he would be speaking to Mr Flannery on the issue and reminding him of the party position. Fine Gael’s spokesman said the comments had no implication for Mr Flannery’s position as director of elections.
Mr Kenny said: “That’s a personal opinion. It has nothing to do with Fine Gael policy. Before the last election, I made that position clear. I made it perfectly clear that Fine Gael would not be doing business with Sinn Féin.”
Asked what his problem was with Sinn Féin, Mr Kenny replied that it had an army council. He would not be drawn on whether or not Fine Gael supporters should give a higher preference to Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald than to Fianna Fáil’s Eoin Ryan in the European elections in Dublin next Friday.
Both Government parties expressed stern criticism of Fine Gael following Mr Flannery’s comments. Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern portrayed the admission as “astounding” and claimed that it confirmed Fine Gael would do anything to get into power.
“Earlier this week Sinn Féin refused to condemn the brutal murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe by the Provisional IRA. It is shocking therefore to hear Fine Gael say that they will happily go into government with Sinn Féin.”
Qualifying his comments yesterday on Newstalk, Mr Flannery said: “I am just mindful of the fact that they [Sinn Féin] are in government in the North with the full support of the Irish people through the peace process and they seem to be doing a very respectable job there and my point really was that it’s something that Fine Gael will discuss.”
Senator Deirdre de Búrca of the Green Party said Sinn Féin was very strongly opposed to the Lisbon Treaty. “I think that is something that some people should keep in mind when thinking of a Fine Gael and Sinn Féin alliance,” she said.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams described Mr Kenny’s and Mr Ahern’s comments as completely irrelevant.
“People want to see a general election and they believe that these elections can build momentum towards making that happen,” he said.