'People, whether young or old, have to educate themselves as to what Sinn Féin are proposing', says Dara Murphy

Europe Minister Dara Murphy said he does not believe polls that suggest a big number of young people will vote for Sinn Féin.

The Cork North Central candidate said he believes there will be significant swing back to Fine Gael and Labour.

A poll for RedC and the Sunday Business Post saw 22% of 18- to 34-year-olds giving their first preference to Sinn Féin, although Fine Gael was most popular at 28%. Mr Murphy said he believes young voters understand Sinn Féin’s economic policies will “wreck the recovery”, and the good, well-paid jobs being created.

“Sinn Féin proposing marginal tax rates of 60%-plus will be a massive disincentive to work and people, whether young or old, have to educate themselves as to what Sinn Féin are proposing,” he said.

Ruling out any coalition with that party, Mr Murphy said that while young people have just to look at the fact that hard-left policies as espoused by Sinn Féin have failed in EU countries.

“We have a very articulate, well-educated young population in the country and I hope that many of them will — while having a natural youthful desire for protest — vote for parties that have a much clearer, much more positive vision for the good of our country,” said Mr Murphy.

Younger people did not have the same knowledge of the actions pursued by Sinn Féin and the IRA “ including some very senior members of both the politburo backroom staff that runs Sinn Féin, and indeed members of the current leadership”.

Gerry Adams

The IRA leadership has refused to condemn those involved in crime and the murder of gardaí, and “do not explain how their back- room team influences the party”, said Mr Murphy.

He accused the party of not being democratic in how it elects its leadership, and said there were significant differences between those people who founded the State and secured independence, and “those people who have been a subversive force in the island for very many years”.

Mr Murphy was in Brussels helping prepare tomorrow’s EU summit, where the main topic will be the deal to convince Britain to stay in the EU.

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