By Cillian Sherlock, PA, in Washington
Sinn Féin would turn Ireland’s friends into enemies, Leo Varadkar has claimed.
Taoiseach said that while the Government and his Fine Gael party are willing to co-operate with Sinn Féin, he is not willing to form a coalition with the opposition party.
He also said a Sinn Féin government would “make Ireland broke again”.
Mr Varadkar made the comments to reporters ahead of a black-tie gala in Washington DC, where Sinn Féin vice-president and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill will address attendees.
The Ireland Funds national gala is a major part of the Taoiseach’s week-long visit to the US for St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Asked if his stance on Sinn Féin had changed recently, Mr Varadkar said: “No, not in terms of forming a coalition with them.
“We’re willing to co-operate with them on certain issues, and we do, and certainly we’re willing to co-operate in relation to Northern Ireland.
“I very much like and respect the First Minister, but forming a coalition in Ireland, forming a sovereign government, is a different thing.
“I firmly believe that Sinn Féin would make Ireland broke again if they pursue their economic and trade policies.
“I know they’ll tell one thing to business leaders, but they’re telling a very different thing to the Irish people.
“And if they’re telling the Irish people the truth, their economic policies will be deleterious for us.
“And I think when it comes to foreign policy, that they’ll turn our friends and enemies, that will be a very serious matter.
“You know, whether it’s supporting separatism in Spain, whether it’s already making an enemy of (European Commission) President (Ursula) von der Leyen by looking to veto… even though she’ll probably get reappointed.
“If you look at… Cuba, Venezuela, which they’re very quiet about here (in the US), their position of Palestine here and Israel, I think a lot of countries that are friends of ours at the moment will be turned into enemies under Sinn Féin.”
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