Opposition criticise Taoiseach in SF support row
Opposition parties tonight hit out at Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, accusing him of breaking his pledge not to go into government with Sinn Féin.
Mr Ahern has ruled out a pre-election pact but said he would take support from the party's TDs in a Dáil vote for Taoiseach.
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte backed his would-be coalition partners in Fine Gael, insisting Mr Ahern had made a dramatic shift in position.
He said the Taoiseach had broken his solemn pledge not to use the support of Sinn Féin to secure power after the next election, due to be held in May or June.
Mr Rabbitte said: "This is an acknowledgement that he [Mr Ahern] will not be able to form a government with the Progressive Democrats alone. More importantly, it is a reversal of his solemn pledge to lead his party into opposition 'rather than rely on Sinn Féin support.
"Fianna Fáil are attempting to portray as reasonable that Mr Ahern would accept the support of Sinn Féin deputies in order to get back into government.
"But the other side of that 'reasonable' coin is that Mr Ahern's government would then be dependent on Sinn Féin."
Mr Rabbitte added: "I believe that hard-working families who pay their taxes don't want the policies of the next government to be dictated by Sinn Féin."
But Fianna Fáil insisted the Taoiseach had consistently said he would not go into government with Sinn Féin.
"The Taoiseach has been consistently clear that Fianna Fail will not enter into a coalition with Sinn Féin after the next election, and he's also been clear on numerous occasions that Fianna Fáil will not enter into any formal or informal arrangements with Sinn Féin," a spokeswoman for the party said.
She said that an arrangement with Sinn Féin was "not on".
Fianna Fáil insisted the Taoiseach had made it clear he would only accept support from Sinn Féin TDs if it was in a free vote in the Dáil.
Caoimhghin O'Caolain, Sinn Féin TD, accused Mr Kenny of trying to rival the PDs in anti-republican hysteria for electoral purposes.
"Enda Kenny would be better off focusing on his own internal party problems rather than engaging in this hysteria, especially at a crucial time in the peace process," Mr O'Caolain said.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionist Party hit out at praise heaped on Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who said Mr Adams had displayed one of the most remarkable examples of leadership in modern politics.
Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson said the comments were ill-judged and ill-considered.
"Far from being remarkable, one could only describe Sinn Féin's leadership as weak, selfish and cowardly," Mr Nicholson said.
"Just think how far on Northern Ireland could be now in terms of self governance, economic growth and social cohesion if Republicans had have had the courage and bravery to deliver on their commitments in 1998.
"I think the vast majority of people within both communities in Northern Ireland will judge this latest choreographed interjection by the Prime Minister to be nothing more than the latest offering of spin and hype from the infamous Downing Street spin doctors."
