Varadkar accused of 'throwing stones' at Sinn Féin instead of focusing on his own party

Former Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell joined a number of Sinn Féin TDs in criticising the Tánaiste's remarks.

Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald on stage in Donnybrook at the RTÉ 'Prime Time Leaders Debate' in January 2020. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has come under fire for "throwing stones" at Sinn Féin at a time when he should be focusing on the performance of his own party.

Mr Varadkar accused Mary Lou McDonald's party of being populist but never principled during a speech to mark the centenary of the Dáil vote on the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

“They are, by their own admission, a populist party," the Fine Gael leader said. 

They are, for the moment, a popular party. But they are not, and have never been, a principled party."

Former Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell joined a number of Sinn Féin TDs in criticising the remarks, stating: "I don't think it's the right time to be throwing stones."

She said some Fine Gael members may be rallied by the remarks, but she added: "the methodology of attacking Sinn Féin for sins, or perceived sins, of the past, doesn't seem to wash with younger voters. So from a vote-getting strategy, it doesn't look to be working."

Ms O'Connell said she did not agree with "moving back to divisive arguments from a century ago" and would prefer a "more positive message" and "a vision for the future", from the Tánaiste.

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carty said: "I think Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are so devoid of any vision, any ambition for our country, that all they have left to resort to is attacks on the opposition. I think people are increasingly seeing beyond that."

Mr Varadkar also said Sinn Féin has been "ignoring every single historical fact that clashes with their carefully fabricated self-image. They appeal to the past, based on a falsification of history and claim a lineage that is not real."

Reacting, Mr Carthy said: "It's almost laughable to get a history lesson from Fine Gael who themselves tried to claim Michael Collins, who died 11 years before that party was founded."

Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly said Mr Varadkar uses every opportunity to criticise her party, but "doesn't seem to have any vision" for the future.

"I would have thought that perhaps he would want to address the failings that the party is experiencing at the moment," she told RTÉ's Claire Byrne Show. 

They're plummeting in the polls, they can't seem to arrest that.

"We know the Tánaiste himself wants to lecture us about principles, but he is a man under investigation by An Garda Síochana presently; I think it would serve him better to maybe address his own party about his own party issues, rather than constantly obsess about Sinn Fein."

Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan said it was no "great revelation" for the Tánaiste to call Sinn Féin populist, as "it's like saying the Pope is a Catholic".

But he said he does not want Irish politics to go down the route of America or Britain, where "there are two antagonistic groups who just don't trust each other".