Doherty: Government should not send Coveney to North for centenary of partition

Pearse Doherty says President Higgins was absolutely right in deciding not to attend that event. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has said that the Government should not send the Foreign Affairs minister to a service to mark the centenary of partition in Northern Ireland organised by church leaders.

“President Higgins was absolutely right in deciding not to attend that event,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

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There were many ways in which the issues of reconciliation across the island of Ireland could be “forwarded” he added. 

Sinn Féin had already participated in a number of different events such as meeting the UK's Queen Elizabeth.

But this isn't about reconciliation, this is about commemorating partition, an act that had a devastating impact on our country.

“I don't think any country in the world would actually be involved in commemorating an event that actually had such a devastating consequence on your island in terms of partition and as I said I think the President was right, I think the public was behind the President's decision and I think it would be wrong for the Cabinet to take the decision today to actually send Simon Coveney.” 

Cynical

Mr Doherty said it was cynical of the Government to announce a decision on the invitation today given that there was so much “in the news cycle” such as the OECD tax rate.

When asked if Sinn Féin would participate if a cross-party group were to attend the service, Mr Doherty said that Sinn Féin would not be involved.

“This is a service about commemorating partition. Sinn Féin would not be party to that, in relation to reconciliation, you've seen down through the years many occasions where we've stretched ourselves, indeed we know that we have to stretch ourselves even further as the debate on Irish unity continues.

Surprising and frustrating

Mike Nesbitt, Ulster Unionist MLA has described the decision of President Michael D Higgins not to attend the Armagh commemoration service of the centenary of partition as “surprising and frustrating.” 

Mr Nesbitt told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that President Higgins had “outreach and reconciliation in his DNA.” 

Had back channels been opened and used to convey the President’s concerns then a compromise on the language used could have been reached, he said.

Earlier on the same programme, Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe said it was his personal opinion that the Government should have “no hand, act or part” in the service. 

The event had “celebratory undertones” and that something that “celebrates partition is never positive in my book”.

Mr Crowe said he was not “telling” the Minister for Foreign Affairs how to act, but that “we shouldn’t jump cap in hand at every event in Northern Ireland.” 

Mr Nesbitt said that the “cap in hand” comment was “quite insulting.” 

The Minister for Foreign Affairs would be welcome to attend the service, and should do so, added Mr Nesbitt. However, the attendance of Mr Coveney would not “do away with the gross imbalance that the organisers did not want”.

Having one head of state and one Irish Government representative at the event would be “unfortunate”. 

The prayer service has been organised by the four main churches in Northern Ireland to mark the centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland.

Queen Elizabeth is among the guests due to attend the event in Armagh on October 21.

Mr Higgins declined his invitation after six months of consideration because he believed it was not politically neutral and because he had concerns about the title of the event.