Varadkar says Fianna Fáil 'untried and untested' when it comes to Brexit
The Taoiseach has ramped up his efforts to make Brexit the key election issue and said that should the public elect Fianna Fáil to office they will be getting an “untried and untested team”.
On the day the UK is finally due to leave the European Union, Mr Varadkar said that the fundamental difference between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on Brexit is “the tried and trusted team that has brought us this far”.
Speaking in the wake of a speech regarding Brexit to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin, the Taoiseach said that Brexit “is definitely an issue” for the public, despite opinion polls having suggested it is close to the bottom of people’s priorities for the election to come.
He said that people on the doorsteps have been “very complimentary” of Tánaiste Simon Coveney and European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee with regard to their handling of Brexit.
Regarding the idea that Brexit is not a key election issue, Mr Varadkar responded: “what comes up on the doors is what’s in the news now”.
January 31, Brexit Day, has long been targeted by Fine Gael as the date on which to ramp up the protracted exit process in people’s minds as a means of bringing what is perceived as the party’s best performance indicator into the election conversation.
From that point of view, Mr Coveney and Ms McEntee had already held a media event at 5am in Dublin Port, ostensibly to inspect its purpose-built Brexit facilities.
Mr Coveney remained unapologetic that his party had chosen to make Brexit the key issue of its campaign to date.
“We haven’t shied away from raising the challenges of Brexit, because like it or not it’s going to dominate Irish politics for some time to come,” he said.
In terms of the election itself, the Taoiseach doubled down on his assertion that he has his full party’s backing on a commitment not to go into Government with Sinn Féin, despite reports this morning that Kate O’Connell, the Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South, had been less than equivocal on the same subject.
“I would have to look back on what they had to say,” Mr Varadkar said. “I think Regina Doherty has described them as nice people. I’ve got nothing against the people in Sinn Fein personally, I have worked with them on Northern Ireland.”
Finance minister Paschal Donohoe then interjected that another Fianna Fáil TD, the latest in a lengthening list, Eamon Scanlan, has now advocated for coalition with Mary Lou McDonald’s party.
Asked repeatedly if he has the “stomach” for five years in opposition should Fine Gael faile to be returned to Government, Mr Varadkar said: “Yes I do.”
On the subject of the Coronavirus outbreak, which has now been declared a worldwide emergency by the World Health Organisation, the Taoiseach said “I don’t want to scare people unnecessarily.”
“The HSE is stepping up its response, in terms of all the protocols put in place when there were prior concerns over the likes of Ebola and SARS,” he said. “Preparation is being stepped up.”
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