Kenny: SF’s ‘democratic journey’ not over

A ROW broke out during Enda Kenny’s visit to the North after the Fine Gael leader said Sinn Féin has not completed its “journey to democratic politics”.

He insisted he would not go into Government with the party until the IRA army council was stood down.

His remarks fed into the “anti-peace process” propaganda, according to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, who branded Mr Kenny as “silly” and said Fine Gael “could not be trusted on the national question”.

Both men met at Belfast’s parliament buildings in Stormont yesterday as part of Fine Gael’s series of party meetings which Mr Kenny said was aimed at “fostering good relations” and showing that his party in Government would “continue to work in the interest of both communities”.

Mr Kenny was asked to clarify remarks he made on The Late Late Show last January, when he said he would not go into coalition with Sinn Féin but was unable to answer why.

His poor performance in that interview is believed to have contributed to dissatisfaction with his leadership, which resulted in last week’s attempted heave against him, which Mr Kenny ultimately survived.

Before going into yesterday’s meeting with Mr Adams and the North’s Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, Mr Kenny clarified his position.

“I cannot deal with Sinn Féin because the army council has never been stood down,” he said.

“They should understand my deep concern here that in the Irish republic we have only one army, therefore there is no need for any party to have an army council in a time of peace.”

The army council once directed the IRA’s campaign and its continuation had prevented unionists from agreeing to the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont.

An Independent Monitoring Commission Report in September 2008 found the council was no longer operational or functioning, but stopped short of saying it had been disbanded.

Mr Kenny said: “I have given Sinn Féin due credit for the distance they’ve travelled. That journey, in terms of democratic politics, has not yet been completed.”

But Mr Adams responded that his party had “no intention” of going into Government with Fine Gael because “quite frankly, most democrats and republicans don’t trust Fine Gael on the national question”.

He said: “They just don’t get it. For them to say such silly things here just feeds into the propaganda of anti-peace process elements.”

He said it was “deeply offensive that a senior politician from Leinster House doesn’t uphold the democratic rights of that section of the electorate who vote republican and their right to choose whoever they want to represent them.”

He said: “It’s nothing to do with the IRA. The IRA have long since left the stage.”

The Fine Gael delegation, included TDs Brian Hayes, Seymour Crawford, Fergus O’Dowd and Joe McHugh, and MEP Sean Kelly.

They also held meetings with the First Minister Peter Robinson and Ulster Unionist Leader, Reg Empey.